County to issue same-sex marriage licenses (NEW MEXICO TODAY 2/20/04)

AP via News Channel 15 wane.com ^ | 2/20/2004

[cyncooper]

Bernalillo, New Mexico-AP -- A county clerk in New Mexico says it has nothing to do with "politics or morals."

Sandoval County Clerk Victoria Dunlap says the county plans to issue marriage licenses for same-sex couples.

She made the decision after asking for an opinion from the county attorney, who said New Mexico law isn't clear on the issue. He also says refusing to issue marriage licenses to gay couples could open the county to legal action.

State law defines marriage as a civil contract between contracting parties. It doesn't mention gender.

The issue of gay marriage has stirred controversy in other states. San Francisco granted hundreds of same-sex marriage licenses in defiance of California state law.

And lawmakers in Massachusetts expect to resume a debate on a constitutional amendment that would ban gay marriage.

[Lunatic Fringe]

Well it's porbably the right choice, since state law doesn't prohibit gay marriage.

[MegaSilver]

A county clerk in New Mexico says it has nothing to do with "politics or morals."

Paint it how you want. It has EVERYTHING to do with BOTH.

[rebeliam]

"refusing to issue marriage licenses to gay couples could open the county to legal action"

as if issuing gay marriage licenses won't result in legal action.

[CedarDave]

The legislature went home at noon yesterday until next January. She waited to announce this until they left town, for obvious reasons.

Pretty soon you will be able to get your gay marriage license and then have to breathe into your anti-drunk driver interlock device so that you can start your car before you go visit the Justice of the Peace.

[Tijeras_Slim]

WTF is it with New Mexico?

Haven't you been following the other NM threads? We're all drunk!

[george wythe]

Next stop, Ft Lauderdale, Florida.

Or New York, New York.

Come on liberal bastions, time to get into gay-marriage bandwagon.

[CedarDave]

ROTFLMAO!!

[KQQL]

@

[barkingdog]

You don't suppose ms Dunlap could be gay, do you? noooooo, of course not.

[Constitution Day]

LMAO!!

[Aquinasfan]

Anarchy is here. And why not?

[nina0113]

ping

[CedarDave]

40 minutes Santa Fe to Bernalillo. Lots cheaper than SF to San Francisco.

[EdReform]

Ping

What We Can Do To Help Defeat the "Gay" Agenda

Homosexual Agenda: Categorical Index of Links (Version 1.1)

[cyncooper]

The legislature went home at noon yesterday until next January. She waited to announce this until they left town, for obvious reasons.

That is a very interesting and important detail and I thank you for that information.

It seems to me that any legislature worth its salt would immediately convene an emergency meeting in the face of such an outrageous maneuver.

[randita]

This whole fiasco is reminiscent of Florida 2000 where Democrats ignored the law for weeks until they finally got a rude awakening. I expect this will go on for a bit more time before it runs against a brick wall.

For some reason, Democrats abandoned their policy of incrementalism this time around and they will pay for their hastiness.

[Lady Eileen]

Rush is talking about this now.

[Timesink]

This is the type of thinking we are facing.

It's going to be a boon to Bush's reelection campaign. The left is shooting themselves in the foot again. To paraphrase the late great Jimi Hendrix, "The wind ... cries ... WELLSTONE!"

[KQQL]

H.R. 3396 (Defense of Marriage Act) Kerry (D-MA), Nay
Signed the Letter Backing Gay Marriage - massequality.org 07/12/02

"Kerry indicated he might eventually back gay marriages if a public consensus developed for them," Brownstein Notes.
http://www.massinsider.com/archives/001261.phtml

[cyncooper]

This ought not be blamed on President Bush who is four square against this travesty.

It is up to the states, now up to three--Mass., CA and NM--to deal with this.

This does illustrate why the president foresaw the need for a Constitutional amendment as a most likely needed remedy.