Steve Beshear Hires Private Firm to Appeal Same-Sex Marriage Case

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Kentucky governor Steve Beshear has asked a U.S Federal Judge to delay the effective date of his ruling allowing state recognition of same-sex marriages. Governor Steve Beshear asked the judge for a delay, according to the Washington Post, in order to decide whether to appeal and or to give them time to figure out how to implement the new law.

The National Organization for Marriage praised Steve Beshear’s decision, and although the judge’s decision would not legalize gay marriage in Kentucky, it is seen by activists as a significant step forward. The appeal of U.S. District Judge John Heyburn’s order ruling struck down portions of the state’s 2004 same-sex marriages ban, Judge Heyburn writing that it violated the equal protection clause in the U.S. Constitution’s Fourteenth Amendment.

  

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WFPL News has reported that Kentucky governor Steve Beshear has received thousands of dollars in campaign contributions to appeal the federal order to recognize out-of-state same-sex marriages.

Steve Beshear’s office announced that it has hired a private law firm to handle the appeal of the decision to overturn parts of the 2004 state constitutional amendment that barred recognition of same-sex marriages performed in other states and countries, the firm of VanAntwerp, Monge, Jones, Edwards & McCann, with which Steve Beshear has signed a $100,000 contract according to WSAZ News Channel 3.

Seven firms applied with the governor’s office to handle the appeal. According to Wfpl.org, Martin Cothran of the conservative Family Foundation of Kentucky has criticized Steve Beshear for the hiring of the firm.

According to campaign finance data from the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance, attorneys from VanAntwerp, Monge, Jones, Edwards & McCann gave $11,250 to Beshear in the last several election cycles. It has been reported that the law firm VanAntwerp, Monge, Jones, Edwards & McCann, also gave money to politicians on both sides of the marriage equality issue. A spokeswoman for Steve Beshear declined to comment.

Image credit: www.kentucky.com