Mayor candidate Sylvester Williams (right) took issue with state Rep. Larry Hall's statement that an amendment to the state constitution banning same-sex marriage would hurt efforts to attract and create jobs.

In an email statement, Williams, a Durham minister, called Hall’s comments “reprehensible.”

“Jobs were created before there was talk about an amendment to the State constitution to ban gay marriage and jobs will be created afterwards. His remarks are disingenuous and any reasonable person can see through the smokescreen of deception,” Williams wrote.
   
“To tie the economy to an issue that has long been the bastion of the church puts Representative Hall in an  uncomfortable position of trying to speak for both the church and the state,” Williams concluded.
 

The Durham People's Alliance is holding a public forum for Durham County legislators Wednesday night.

State Sen. Floyd McKissick and Reps. Larry Hall, Paul Leubke and Winkie Wilkins have confirmed they expect to be on hand to talk and take questions on the just-past General Assembly session and whatever legislative issues the audience has on its mind.

The forum runs 7-9 at the Stanford L. Warren branch library, 1201 Fayetteville St.