South Dakota
The lawsuit challenging South Dakota’s ban on same-sex marriage got a boost this week when a Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate filed a breif in support of the lawsuit.
U.S. Senate candidate Larry Pressler filed the brief in federal court in support of the lawsuit which was filed in May. He’s running to replace Democratic Sen. Tim Johnson who retired.
Wisconsin
The brief legalization of same-sex marriage in Wisconsin has some wondering if Gov. Scott Walker has changed his tune on the issue — he hasn’t.
“I voted with the majority of the people in this state in 2006 for the constitutional amendment that defined marriage. My position hasn’t changed,” Walker told the Green Bay Press Gazette.
Though a judge has put a halt to same-sex marriage’s in Wisconsin, members of the state’s congressional delegation are urging U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to give federal recognition to those couples who were already married which numbers more than 550. Senator Tammy Baldwin and Representatives Ron Kind, Gwen Moore and Mark Pocan — all Democrats — sent the letter on Monday.
“To date, same-sex couples across Wisconsin have received marriage licenses, and officials in counties throughout the state continue to issue licenses to eligible couples,” the letter states. “These loving couples have valid marriage licenses and should receive the same federal recognition that all other married Wisconsin couples currently do.”
North Dakota
A North Dakota congressman is taking heat for comments he made about President Obama’s executive order last week which bans workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity for federal contractors. Republican Rep. Kevin Cramer told KFYR: “I’m not even sure that this is a problem. I have to be honest, I don’t get many, if any. I don’t know that I’ve ever received a phone call in my office from somebody that says they’ve been discriminated against based on their sexual orientation.” He said Obama issued the order on political grounds.
The Daily Show with John Stewart featured North Dakota’s marriage equality lawsuit in a segment on gay marriage on Wednesday: ”Equality descending on North Dakota, dontcha know. It’s like a big, gay polar vortex, ya.”