EUREKA SPRINGS, Ark. (AP) - Two women were married outside the Carroll County Courthouse in Eureka Springs shortly after being issued the state’s first gay marriage license.
Carroll County Deputy Clerk Jane Osborn issued the license Saturday morning to Kristin Seaton and Jennifer Rambo of Fort Smith - breaking a barrier that state voters put in place with a constitutional amendment 10 years ago.
Judge Chris Piazza in Little Rock on Friday struck down the ban, saying there is no rational reason for it.
Piazza didn’t issue a stay, so local clerks can decide whether to grant licenses. Most Arkansas courthouses are closed Saturdays, but the one at Eureka Springs usually opens to issue marriage licenses.
Arkansas’ attorney general has asked Piazza to delay his ruling pending an appeal to the state Supreme Court.
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