Same-sex marriage licenses in Kenton and Campbell counties were issued to several couples starting Friday afternoon, and the Boone County clerk’s office expected to be prepared to issue the licenses today.
Kenton County Clerk Gabrielle Summe issued two marriage licenses to same-sex couples by 3:16 Friday afternoon, following the Supreme Court’s 5-4 historic ruling allowing same-sex marriages nationwide.
Summe said she had another request from a couple who wanted to register their license from New York, but that was unnecessary since the court ruling gives “full faith and credit” to any marriage performed in any state.
Summe also provided a copy of the new marriage license form, available here.
Campbell County Clerk Jim Luersen was not available for comment but a spokesperson in the office said that six same-sex marriage licenses have been issued through 10 a.m. today.
Boone County Clerk Kenny Brown said Sunday night his office will begin issuing same-sex marriage licenses Monday morning. His office did not issue any licenses Friday.
Brown said the decision not to issue marriage licenses Friday was not an act of defiance but an attempt to get clarification on legal questions related to the Supreme Court decision.
Brown said in a press release that he plans to issue a formal request to the Kentucky Attorney General for an opinion on a list of what he sees as newly create legal questions associated with the Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriages. Brown said he will reveal those questions after the request for an opinion is submitted.
Text of Brown’s press release:
Friday’s 103-page Supreme Court opinion / ruling overturned Kentucky’s Constitutional amendment, which was enacted in 2004 after a popular vote.
This unprecedented ruling makes drastic changes to state marriage laws and creates many questions and issues on multiple levels. The obvious question is how it affects current Kentucky statutes that govern the marriage process. These are the statutes elected officials, like County Clerks, must follow.
The majority of these questions could not be answered on Friday and will continue to go unanswered when business resumes on Monday morning. The questions will need to be answered or addressed by the Kentucky Legislature or by the Kentucky Attorney General.
For this reason, this week I will be issuing a formal request to the Kentucky Attorney General for an opinion on a list of the newly created legal questions. Realizing answers will not be available immediately; the Boone County Clerk’s Office will resume issuing marriage licenses in accordance with the Supreme Court ruling at 8:30 a.m. on Monday 6/29.
Love wins in Kenton and Campbell counties. To help out the clerk in Boone County: Federal law supersedes state law. That’s it.