And then it was over.
For whatever reasons, Justice Anthony Kennedy of the U.S. Supreme Court issued a stay against same-sex marriages in Idaho; in the end, the Court decided to not hear the case.
On Monday, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals lifted the stay and put the issue to rest.
And, well, yeah. Then it was over.
Marriage licenses can legally be issued to same-sex couples statewide starting at 9 a.m. on Wednesday.
Deborah Ferguson, attorney for the four couples who sued to overturn Idaho’s ban on gay marriage, hadn’t even filed her reply to the state’s latest legal filings when the order came out mid-day Monday. “I guess they kind of knew what we were going to say,” she said.
(Russell)
Except, well, this is Idaho.
Jessica Robinson of KUOW offers a brief glimpse into the future:
In court briefs, Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden concluded further attempts keep gay marriage on hold would likely be unsuccessful in light of the Supreme Court’s recent decision not to consider cases involving bans in other states ....
Idaho Governor Butch Otter sought Supreme Court intervention last week after the 9th Circuit ruled Idaho’s voter-passed gay marriage ban is unconstitutional. However, Idaho’s attorney general leaves the door open to future appeals. He said the state still holds its position that Idaho’s law is valid.
In a separate letter, Governor Butch Otter argued the court should keep gay marriage on hold while he asks a larger panel of judges to reconsider the case.
Normally this is the part where we say something sarcastic like, “Yeah, good luck with that, Butch.” Except, let’s face it, sarcasm is letting Idaho governor off easy. So let us first point out the futility of his argument. Next, let us note the desperation. And then, just for the trips, let us wonder what sort of moral values would drive Butch Otter’s determined cruelty. Idaho may be the Gem State, but this sort of hatred is nothing more than broken glass.
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Russell, Betsy Z. “9th Circuit lifts stay on gay marriage in Idaho”. The Spokesman-Review. 13 October 2014.
Robinson, Jessica. “Gay Marriage In Idaho Cleared To Start Wednesday Morning”. KUOW. 14 October 2014.
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