A couple of weeks ago, Ron Johnson indicated that he would vote for the same-sex marriage bill which would codify marriage equality. However, the reason RoJo gave for his apparent cooperation was a bit off, to say the least:
In his statement, Johnson referenced the landmark Obergefell v. Hodges Supreme Court decision that legalized same-sex marriage in 2015.
"Prior to the Obergefell v. Hodges Supreme Court decision on gay marriage, I supported civil unions," Johnson said in the statement. " After Obergefell, I considered the issue settled.
"Unlike Roe v. Wade, I do not see any scenario in which the Supreme Court would overturn Obergefell. The Respect for Marriage Act is another example of Democrats creating a state of fear over an issue in order to further divide Americans for their political benefit. Even though I feel the Respect for Marriage Act is unnecessary, should it come before the Senate, I see no reason to oppose it."
If you follow stories about RoJo, you will know why he's called W-Ron-G Johnson and where this is going.
Sure enough, on Wednesday, RoJo dropped the other show we were waiting for. All of a sudden, RoJo has "concerns" about the bill:
In an interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the Oshkosh Republican indicated he now has concerns over religious protections issues and would like to see changes to the bill's text.
“I said at the time I had no reason to oppose it,” Johnson said. “I think there are a lot of people with reasons and very legitimate issues in terms of religious freedom.”
“I think that needs to be considered and addressed.”
Johnson’s position on the topic has been called into question since the Wisconsin senator claimed in July he wouldn't oppose the Respect for Marriage Act if it comes up for a vote in the Senate. He said at the time he saw the legislation as “unnecessary” but added: “I see no reason to oppose it."
On Tuesday, however, Johnson told Axios, “I've never said I would support it. I said I didn't see a reason to oppose it.”
Oh, and the "concerns" he now has, well, it's just whether the check from the homophobic Wisconsin Family Action clears the bank.
