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NY: Attorney General Joins DOMA Fight

Wednesday, July 27th, 2011

New York Attorney General Eric SchneidermanNew York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has filed briefs in the Edie Windsor lawsuit challenging the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Writes the AG’s office in a press release:

Schneiderman filed the papers in federal court in support of the plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment in the case of Windsor v. United States. The plaintiff, Edie Windsor, was married in Canada in 2007 to her partner, Thea Spyer, who died two years later.

Following Spyer’s death, the federal government refused to acknowledge the couple’s marriage under DOMA and taxed the resulting inheritance accordingly. Windsor then filed suit, challenging the constitutionality of DOMA and seeking a refund of the estate taxes she was forced to pay as a result of the federal government’s refusal to recognize her marriage.

Full Story from Towleroad.com

Click here for gay wedding resources in New York.

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GA: Attorney General Rebukes King and Spalding for Dropping DOMA Defense

Thursday, May 5th, 2011

GA AG Sam OlensGeorgia’s top attorney has rebuked an Atlanta law firm for withdrawing from its agreement to defend the federal ban on gay marriage.

Attorney General Sam Olens told the Glynn County Bar Association this week that the move by King & Spalding “sets a dangerous precedent and could have a chilling effect on law firms.”

He also noted that the same firm represented detainees at the military’s Guantanamo Bay complex.

Full Story from NewsTimes.com

Click here for gay marriage resources in Georgia.

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CA: AG Harris Files Brief: Prop 8 Supporters Have No Standing

Wednesday, May 4th, 2011

Kamala HarrisIn another move in the seemingly unending Prop 8 battle, California Attorney General Kamala Harris has filed a brief declaring that private citizens do not have standing to defend the statute in court.

In it, she argued that only public officials exercising the executive power of government have authority to represent the state when laws passed by voters or the Legislature are challenged. “California law affords an initiative’s proponents no right to defend the validity of a successful initiative measure based only on their role in launching an initiative process,” Harris wrote.

[snip] Lawyers for the coalition of religious and conservative groups that qualified the gay marriage measure for the ballot and campaigned for its passage have argued that initiative proponents need to be allowed to advocate for laws in court to prevent elected officials from effectively vetoing measures by not defending them in court.

Full Story from Joe.My.God

Click here for gay marriage resources in California.

To subscribe to this blog, use the rss feed on the right, or use the form at right to join our email list. You can also email us at info@purpleunions.com. Or find us on Facebook – just search for Gay Marriage Watch (you’ll see our b/w wedding pic overlooking the Ferry Building and Bay Bridge in SF). We’re also tweeting daily at http://www.twitter.com/gaymarriagewatc.

VA: AG to Block Proposed Anti Discrimination Regulation for Gay Adoptions

Friday, April 15th, 2011

Ken CuccinelliVirginia Attorney General Ken Cucinelli has announced that he will block a proposed regulation banning religious discrimination against adoptive gay parents.

Cuccinelli’s office said in a memo dated Tuesday that the proposal to be considered by the State Board of Social Services as early as next week “does not comport with applicable state law and public policy.” “Therefore the State Board lacks the authority to adopt this proposed language,” wrote Allen Wilson, senior assistant attorney general.

Cuccinelli’s position reverses one of his predecessor, William C. Mims, a former Republican legislator and now a Virginia Supreme Court justice. Currently, only married couples and single men and women — regardless of sexual orientation — can adopt in Virginia. Proposed changes would require private and faith-based groups, such as Catholic Charities or Jewish Family Services, to allow gay parents to adopt or foster children.

Full Story from Joe.My.God

Click here for gay marriage resources in Virginia.

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CA: Marriage Equality Opponents Push Bill to Force AG To Defend Ballot Propositions

Thursday, February 17th, 2011

As the California Supreme Court announced that it will weigh in on the issue of whether a group of anti-gay-marriage activists can defend Proposition 8 in court, Republican State Senator Tom Harman has introduced a new bill that would apparently ensure that such a question would never have to be decided again.

Under Senate Bill 5, or the “Attorney General: defense of initiative statutes” bill, Attorney General Kamala Harris would be obligated by law to defend the same-sex marriage ban in court-something both she and her predecessor, now-Governor Jerry Brown have famously refused to do. The text of the bill reads:

The Attorney General shall not refuse to defend a constitutional amendment or an initiative statute on the basis of it being unconstitutional, or in conflict with, or in violation of federal law or regulation, unless an appellate court has made a determination that the amendment or statute is unconstitutional or otherwise in conflict with, or in violation of, federal law or regulation.

Full Story from KALW News

Click here for gay marriage resources in California.

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DC: Attorney General Asks Supreme Court to Deny Vote Request

Monday, December 27th, 2010

Washington DC Gay MarriageBishop Harry Jackson is still demanding that marriage equality be put before the voters of Washington DC despite the fact that it is not required that such a ballot initiative happen.

It has been pointed out that, had the issue of inter-racial marriage been put to the voters of the Southern states in 1970, Whites and Blacks would still not be allowed to marry there. Most of the time, when civil rights for a minority group are put to the ballot, those who gain the most from ensuring the second-class status of a minority group vote against it.

DC Attorney General Peter Nickles and other attorneys in the city have urged the US Supreme Court to not take the case seeking to force a vote on the issue. Nickles notes that the DC Court of Appeals has ruled earlier this year that the District has the authority to prohibit a voter initiative or referendum with regards to the Religious Freedom and Marriage Equality Amendment Act of 2009, or any other referendi or initiatives.

Full Story from Lez Get Real

Click here for gay marriage resources in Washington, DC.

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Australia: AG Drafting Anti Relationship Discrimination Bill; First Step Toward Marriage Equality?

Tuesday, December 14th, 2010

Australia Gay MarriageTHE federal Attorney-General’s Department is in the early stages of drafting broad anti-discrimination legislation. This legislation would make it illegal to discriminate on gender or sexuality grounds and includes a policy suggestion that is a step towards legalising gay marriage.

In its secret Red Book to the incoming Gillard government, the department proposed prohibiting marital and relationship status discrimination “in consolidated bill to include same-sex couples”. The Attorney-General’s Red Book says that while commonwealth law prohibits sexuality discrimination in employment, it does not prohibit gender status discrimination.

“This policy commits to including new protections against sexuality or gender status discrimination in the consolidation of commonwealth anti-discrimination laws, which is currently under way,” it says. A spokesman for Attorney-General Robert McClelland was quick to clarify that the Gillard government remains opposed to gay marriage, and has not changed its position.

Full Story from The Australian

Click here for gay marriage resources in Australia.

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CA: New Attorney General Harris Says State Will Not Appeal Prop 8 Decision

Wednesday, December 1st, 2010

Attorney General Kamala HarrisKamala Harris has made it clear- the state of California cannot afford to appeal the Prop 8 decision and that means that she will “not defend Proposition 8 because it is simply unconstitutional.”

Harris is the newly elected attorney general of California, and her position mirrors that of current attorney general and governor-elect Jerry Brown. This leaves the defense of Prop 8 in the hands of those who have shown that their interests are not in protecting marriage, but in preventing lesbians and gays from being equal.

The Supreme Court of the United States has never actually weighed in on marriage equality. Should they take the appeal from the appellate court, it will be up to the justices to decide whether or not such laws are unconstitutional.

Full Story from Lez Get Real

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CA: Harris Wins AG, State Will Not Fight Prop 8 Lawsuit

Wednesday, November 24th, 2010

Kamala HarrisSan Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris will be California’s next attorney general, after her Republican opponent conceded today – a full three weeks after the Nov. 2 election.

Los Angeles District Attorney Steve Cooley had declared victory on election night, only to see the race flip-flop between the two candidates in the coming days as counties around the state continued to tally mail-in and provisional ballots. This morning, Cooley called Harris – who is now leading by 50,000 votes – to concede and congratulate her.

She will become the state’s first female attorney general. In a written statement, Cooley said his campaign “believes that we cannot make up the current gap in the vote count.”

Full Story from SF Gate

Click here for gay marriage resources in California.

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CA: Pro Gay Marriage AG Candidate harris Pulls Ahead of GOP Rival

Saturday, November 20th, 2010

Kamala HarrisIn one of the most bitterly contested races in state history, the Democrat has expanded her lead for California Attorney General.  Kamala D. Harris has 4,291,854 votes as of 4:14 p.m. Friday, Nov. 19, with 100 percent of the precincts partially or fully reporting, according to the Secretary of State’s Office.

The Republican, Steve Cooley, has 4,248,804 votes. Four other candidates trail badly.

Harris has tallied 37,474 votes more than Cooley in the past seven days, giving her at cushion of 43,050.

Full Story from SDGLN

Click here for gay marriage resources in California.

To subscribe to this blog, use the rss feed on the right, or use the form at right to join our email list. You can also email us at info@purpleunions.com. Or find us on Facebook – just search for Gay Marriage Watch (you’ll see our b/w wedding pic overlooking the Ferry Building and Bay Bridge in SF). We’re also tweeting daily at http://www.twitter.com/gaymarriagewatc.