Update, 2 p.m.: "Those are legal and valid marriages,” Gov. Rick Snyder says of more than 300 same-gender couples who get wedding licenses in four counties Saturday, the Free Press reports.
But while a Detroit federal judge's March 21 decision is under appeal, Michigan "won’t recognize the benefits of the marriage until there’s a removal of the stay," the governor is quoted as telling reporters Wednesday afternoon at his Capitol office. "Hopefully we’ll be able to provide some clarity, at least from our perspective, relatively soon.”
In an odd twist that may signal a rift between two Republican officials, Snyder said the attorney general's office didn't answer a request for guidance on the issue, Chris Gautz writes in Crain's.
Snyder said he met with legal counsel and contacted Attorney General Bill Schuette’s office to understand the complexities of the issue. Schuette’s office did not respond, Snyder said.
“We did our own research,” the governor said. “We believe this is the appropriate position to take.”
The ACLU of Michigan is partially relieved by Snyder's position, but also sees it as "simply astonishing." Excerpts from a statement by the legal group on its Facebook page:
We're pleased that the state has conceded that more than 300 couples were legally married on Saturday after Judge Friedman's historic ruling. This acknowledgment opens the door for federal recognition of these marriages.
However, it's simply astonishing that the governor now plans to deny these legally married couples the benefits of marriage that all other legally married couples are entitled to under state law.
As a matter of law and fundamental fairness, the state is obligated to extend all the rights and responsibilities that flow from marriage to the more than 300 couples married this weekend. Doing anything less violates our laws, shamefully treats legally married gay and lesbian couples like second-class citizens, and adds to the confusion and instability these loving families have had to endure.
Original article, 11:40 a.m. Wednesday:
"The governor’s office may say today whether hundreds of same-sex marriage licenses issued Saturday in four counties are valid, Chad Livengood reports in The Detroit News.
“We are doing a detailed legal analysis and review,” spokeswoman Sara Wurfel is quoted as saying Wednesday morning in Lansing. "We want to do this right."
County clerks in Ingham, Muskegon, Oakland and Washtenaw counties opened their offices Saturday and issued more than 300 same-sex marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples before the Court of Appeals issued a temporary stay. . . .On Tuesday, a three-judge appellate panel issued a permanent stay until formal arguments can be made in the appeal of U.S. District Judge Bernard Friedman’s ruling that state bans on gay marriage and adoption violate the U.S. Constitution’s equal protection clause.
