Supreme Court declines appeal of D.C. gay marriage law

CSM ^ | 1.18.11

[trumandogz]

The US Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to take up a case seeking to force the Washington, D.C., government to hold a referendum on the city’s gay marriage law.

The high court declined to hear an appeal filed on behalf of opponents of a March 2010 law that made the District of Columbia the sixth jurisdiction in the United States authorizing gay and lesbian couples to marry.

[trumandogz]

That’s really odd, unless the Justices are looking down the road and waiting for the California case.

Or, even worse, they are indicating how what action they will take when Ted Olson and the California come before them.

[Lurking Libertarian]

That’s really odd, unless the Justices are looking down the road and waiting for the California case. Or, even worse, they are indicating how what action they will take when Ted Olson and the California come before them.

Very different legal issues. In the California case, Olson is claiming that the Constitution requires gay marriage and that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional. In this case, there is no constitutional issue; the Washington city council voted to authorize gay marriage by city ordinance, and opponents are arguing that the city council didn't have that power.

[EllenMarie]

Actually my pastor, Bishop Harry Jackson, sued the DC Board of Elections to allow the DC residents vote on the issue.