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Court Orders For Pastors' Speeches Withdrawn

  Houston's mayor says the city has withdrawn subpoenas seeking speeches and other information from five pastors who publicly opposed an ordinance banning discrimination of gay and transgender residents.

Mayor Annise Parker said Wednesday that the subpoenas weren't intended to infringe on anyone's religious freedoms, but rather to help the city defend itself against a lawsuit challenging the ordinance that the City Council approved in May.

The pastors said the subpoenas violated their First Amendment rights.

An attorney for ordinance opponents says the mayor is taking a step in the right direction, but that voters should be allowed to vote on the ordinance.

City attorneys originally subpoenaed the pastors, seeking speeches, presentations or sermons related to efforts to repeal the ordinance. The city withdrew its request for the sermons Oct. 17.

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