© 2024 KRWG
News that Matters.
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Los Alamos County Goes To Court To Block Marriage Equality; Grant County Follows Ruling

The Los Alamos County clerk says she won't issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples and will go to court to defend her decision.  Clerk Sharon Stover made the announcement Tuesday in response to a judge's ruling last week that she issue marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples or appear in court to explain why that shouldn't happen.

Stover said in a statement that New Mexico's marriage laws haven't been changed since the 1960s, and the law includes a marriage license application with sections for male and female applicants.

Stover plans to appear in district court on Wednesday. She said the state Supreme Court needs to resolve lingering legal questions over whether gay marriage is legal statewide.

Six counties in the past two weeks have started granting licenses to same-sex couples.

Grant County Clerk Robert Zamarripa said his office will provide marriage licenses to same-sex couples starting next Monday.

He said his office will comply with a district judge's ruling on Tuesday in a lawsuit brought by a lesbian couple.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.