By John Mack Freeman
In Alabama, legislators are once again considering getting the government out of the marriage business. The Alabama State Senate approved a bill that would get rid of state-issued marriage licenses and instead have couples register their union with the state for benefits purposes. This is to avoid judges having to sign marriage licenses that they might be morally opposed to. The bill may pass this week, but it will require a 2/3 majority as it falls outside the parameters of the special session that the Alabama legislature is currently in.
In North Carolina, all four of McDowell County’s magistrates have stopped performing all marriages (same sex and otherwise). This is perfectly legal as the state had previously passed a “religious exemptions law” shortly before the Supreme Court struck down same-sex marriage bans in Obergefell. This marks 32 total magistrates that have recused themselves thus far under the new law.
In Kentucky, the saga of Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis continued as she began back at work this past Monday. She said that she would not interfere with her deputy clerks providing same-sex marriage licenses. However, this is not entirely true. Davis has redesigned the licenses that the office gives out to list them as coming from a notary public instead of a clerk of court. While Governor Beshear of Kentucky says that the licenses will be recognized as valid, some commentators speculate that Davis may soon end up back in jail for further obstruction of justice.
