A judge in Arkansas has ordered the state to approve and recognize more than 500 same-sex marriage licenses that have been held in pending status because of court challenge – but Attorney General Leslie Rutledge indicated more fights may be brewing.
Pulaski County Circuit Judge Wendell Griffen's ruling clarifies the status of same-sex couples who were allowed to marry during a brief span of time last year when different courts issued conflicting rulings on the state's voter-approved gay marriage ban. At first, a court struck down the ban, but a week later, the state's Supreme Court suspended that ruling, halting further marriage ceremonies.
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In the interim, more than 500 couples were able to marry, the Associated Press reported.
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Now, the state has been ordered to recognized the unions of those "gays" who previously married.
This latest ruling gives "gay" couples the immediate right to file joint tax forms and enroll as a couple on state insurance plans, AP reported.
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State officials aren't accepting the ruling just yet.
Rutledge said, the Hill reported: "These marriages do not fall within the state's definition of marriage as between one man and one woman. I am evaluating the ruling and will determine the best path forward to protect the state's interest."