Tag: Steve Beshear

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Kentucky Gov. Beshear Says Kim Davis’ Conflict Is “Between Her And The Courts”

Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear

Rogue County Clerk Kim Davis continues to cool her heels in the hoosegow in Rowan County as her lawyers file an motion to the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals appealing her contempt of court charges.

Her lawyers have also asked Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear to “exempt” her from having to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples until the state legislature can convene in January and perhaps pass legislation removing the names of county clerks from marriage licenses.

Beshear’s answer was to say he has no intention of responding to the request saying the conflict was a “matter between her and the courts.”

Most legal analysts say Davis’ team has little to no chance of receiving any kind of respite from the 6th Circuit.

In other “Kim Davis” news – the much anticipated crowd-sourcing campaign to raise money for Davis was launched over the holiday weekend, but so far it hasn’t grown into the vast windfall other anti-gay folks have seen. At this writing the fund has raised less than $6,000.

I guess Davis will have to look to a book deal to make her martyr millions.

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Kentucky: Anti-Gay County Clerk Sues Governor For Telling Her To Do Her Job

County Clerk Kim Davis of Kentucky refusing marriage license to same-sex couple

Kentucky County Clerk has filed a lawsuit against Gov. Steve Beshear over her continued refusal to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

Davis maintains she has a right to deny same-sex couples equal treatment under the law because of her religious beliefs.

Via Kentucky.com:

Late Tuesday, Davis filed a lawsuit against Beshear in federal district court. She blamed the governor for instructing all 120 of the state’s county clerks to comply with this summer’s U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized gay marriage.

Beshear’s stance left dissenting county clerks vulnerable to lawsuits, including two that she currently faces, filed by groups of her constituents, Davis said. U.S. District Judge David Bunning is expected to rule in these cases in coming days.

“The Commonwealth of Kentucky, acting through Governor Beshear, has deprived Davis of her religious-conscience rights guaranteed by the United States and Kentucky constitutions and laws, by insisting that Davis issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples contrary to her conscience, based on her sincerely held religious beliefs,” Davis’ lawsuit says.

Also named in the lawsuit is the head of the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives, which changed the marriage license forms to gender-neutral.

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Kentucky Governor Tells County Clerks: Issue Marriage Licenses To Same-Sex Couples Or Resign

Speaking at a press conference today, Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear made clear his position regarding county clerks who refuse to marry same-sex couples: be prepared to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples or resign.

“When you voluntarily decide to run for office, and you win, and you raise your hand and you take the oath to uphold the Constitutions of the United States… that oath doesn’t say ‘I will uphold the parts of the Constitution that I agree with and won’t with the parts I don’t agree with.’”

“You can continue to have your own personal beliefs but, you’re also taking an oath to fulfill the duties prescribed by law, and if you are at that point to where your personal convictions tell you that you simply cannot fulfill your duties that you were elected to do, than obviously an honorable course to take is to resign and let someone else step-in who feels that they can fulfill those duties.”