County endures after hubbub over God's mercy, gay marriage

Sue Neustel, left, and Ash McDaniel hold a sign before a Blount County TN commission meeting considering a resolution asking God for mercy as the county is forced to comply with the U.S. Supreme Court on same-sex marriage. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

Maryville, Tennessee (AP) — When commissioners in a Tennessee county scrapped an agenda that included a resolution asking for God's mercy despite ongoing gay marriages, they also effectively canceled their meeting, but officials have a workaround for that.

Blount County Commission Chairman Jerome Moon tells the Knoxville News Sentinel that Mayor Ed Mitchell is expected to schedule a special-called commission meeting to deal with items such as budgetary matters.

Moon said since Mitchell will call the meeting, he will set the agenda and "county government will go forward."

The committee that decides which items the commission will consider voted 10-5 Tuesday night not to accept the agenda that included the resolution imploring God not to smite the town like Sodom and Gomorrah.

Moon said Commissioner Karen Miller can submit her resolution again.

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The Gayly – October 8, 2015 @ 7:40am.