Despite a ruling from a federal judge that requires a Kentucky county clerk to process marriage licenses for all couples, this morning Kentucky county clerk Kim Davis violated that order by refusing to process a same-sex marriage license.
Zack Ford writes on Think Progress Davis refused to have her name on same-sex couples’ marriage licenses because of her religious beliefs and so decided her office would not process licenses for any couples. According to District Judge David L. Bunning, Davis’ job of authorizing valid marriage licenses does not violate her religious liberty nor her freedom of speech. “Our form of government will not survive unless we, as a society, agree to respect the U.S. Supreme Court’s decisions, regardless of our personal opinions,” he writes. “Davis is certainly free to disagree with the Court’s opinion, as many Americans likely do, but that does not excuse her from complying with it. To hold otherwise would set a dangerous precedent.”
Davis has appealed the decision and asked for a stay of the injunction, but she has not yet successfully obtained a stay. Thus, her refusal to issue a license Thursday morning was in clear violation of Bunning’s order. See Zack Ford’s full report here.
