The Kentucky State Senate today held a hearing on SB5, a proposed bill that would remove the name and title of the county clerk or deputy clerk from all marriage licenses. The bill passed and now moves to the full Senate for consideration.
William Sharp, Legal Director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky, had this comment:
“The ACLU of Kentucky fully supports protections for religious liberty, but SB5 is less about protecting everyone’s religious liberty than it is about catering to some public officials who seek to avoid performing the duties of their government jobs by invoking religious opposition to gay and lesbian Kentuckians. With the problems facing Kentucky, the General Assembly would be better-served focusing its energy on ensuring that all government officials carry out their duties faithfully and treat all Kentuckians fairly under the law."
Today’s hearing comes on the heels of Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin’s recent executive order altering marriage licenses and in response to the ongoing Miller v. Davis case, in which the ACLU is defending the rights of couples who were turned away from the Rowan County clerk’s office to receive valid marriage licenses, as they are legally entitled.
More information about the bill is available at:
http://www.lrc.ky.gov/record/16RS/SB5/bill.pdf
More information on Miller v. Davis is available at:
https://www.aclu.org/cases/miller-v-davis
February 10, 2016 - 12:54pm