North Dakota Rejects Changes to Reflect Gay Marriage Ruling

North Dakota's Republican-led Senate has rejected a measure to update state law to reflect the U.S. Supreme Court's 2015 decision that same-sex couples have the right to marry.

The bill failed 15-31 on Tuesday. It would have updated dozens of references, such as "husband and wife," to gender-neutral terms.

North Dakota law lists "one man, one woman" or "husband and wife" for everything from marriages and divorces to fishing licenses.

The measure got a hearing last week in the Senate Judiciary Committee, which voted 4-2 to recommend against passage.

Committee chairman Sen. Kelly Armstrong, a Republican, says rejecting the measure is only symbolic since same-sex marriage is now legal nationwide.