Georgia lawmakers on Thursday approved a bill explicitly stating that religious officials can refuse to perform gay marriages, their first significant action on a variety of proposals creating legal exemptions for same-sex marriage opponents. Authored by Rep. Kevin Tanner, R-Dawsonville, HB 757, known as the Pastor Protection Act, passed unanimously in the state House. "The Pastor Protection Act is a simple reaffirmation of our bedrock principle of separation of church and state," Tanner said.