Judge Strikes Down Part of HB 1523

Mississippi circuit clerks must provide equal treatment for all couples, gay or straight, who want to obtain marriage licenses.
This ruling was handed down today by federal U.S. District Court Judge Carlton Reeves. Reeves is extending his previous order that overturned Mississippi’s ban on same-sex marriage.
Mississippi’s religious objections measure, House Bill 1523, was filed in response to last summer’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling that legalized gay marriage nationwide. Harrison County Circuit Clerk Connie Ladner said, “I, along with my fellow deputy clerks, took an oath to follow the law when we took office. In July of 2015, we began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. In Harrison County, we will continue to do so with or without House Bill 1523.”