Photo by Stephen KorandaThis week, the U.S Supreme Court left in place appeals court decisions that overturned same sex marriage bans in five states.
Some people believe that means all the states in those legal jurisdictions should now start allowing same sex marriages, including Kansas.
But as Kansas Public Radio’s Stephen Koranda reports, state officials aren’t giving up on the same sex marriage ban.
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At some local courthouses in Kansas, workers have blocked same sex couples from applying for a marriage license. Some other courthouses have let couples apply, but those applications haven’t yet been approved.
Doug Bonney, with the Kansas ACLU, believes this issued is settled, and they’re ready to file suit to prove it.
“Kansas should just do the right thing and start issuing marriage licenses so everybody can enjoy the benefits of marriage,” says Bonney.
Kansas Republican Attorney General Derek Schmidt says he’ll defend the Kansas ban on same sex marriage. He says right now, no court has invalidated the specific ban in Kansas.
Republican Governor Sam Brownback points to the large majority of Kansans who voted for the state’s constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman.
“I think this is just a matter that’s headed to the courts. I think the state of Kansas should defend how the people have spoken and how the people have voted,” says Brownback.
So there’s likely more legal wrangling ahead in Kansas when it comes to same sex marriage.