It effective was. And it's going to REALLY get messy.
Now, these fake "Marriages" are going to be exportable, as a couple "marries" in Iowa and then moves to Texas. They will be recognized as "married" for federal purposes, and as many conditions as the federal government has in funding for state programs, this status will be capitalized upon to the max.
Good. The messier the better. Means more people get POs instead of just going along.