Kentucky Clerk Testifies Over Refusal to Issue Marriage Licenses | WKU Public

He also noted that the plaintiffs in the case drove an hour’s distance to Boyd County last week for an earlier hearing, and Monday they drove two hours for the hearing in Kenton County.

A lawsuit against a Kentucky county clerk refusing to issue marriage licenses since the U.S. Supreme Court determined that same-sex marriage is legal nationwide, brought protestors to Covington on Monday.

Bunning said the earliest he could rule would be mid-August.

ACLU attorneys pointed out that Davis knew about the possibility of the Supreme Court ruling while she was running for the office.

Davis says she is an Apostolic Christian and believes that marriage is between one man and one woman.

Judge David Bunning also asked several questions.

The American Civil Liberties Union has filed suit on behalf of two same-sex couples and two opposite-sex couples, alleging that Davis violated their constitutional rights when denying them licenses.

Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis said her decision to refuse marriage licenses is based on her religious beliefs and therefore protected by the first amendment.

“If I authorize it, I’m saying I agree with it. I can’t do that”, she said.

Her solution is for Beshear to call a special session of the state legislature to pass a law protecting county clerks, possibly by allowing people to receive marriage licenses from the state online. The couple then returns the license to the clerk and has it recorded.

Bunning repeated his question to Davis a third time, but she then refused to answer because she said the question was based off speculation and she was unsure of how to appropriately respond. And she said that out of loyalty to her employees, she would not resign. And he seemed to favor a solution where a deputy clerk’s name, instead of Davis’, would be on the license. Canon asked. Davis is being sued in federal court for not issuing marriage licenses due to her religious beliefs.

Davis is among a number of clerks in Kentucky who have cited concerns over issuing licenses, though most have continued providing them.

The plaintiff’s attorney asked Davis if she would change her position if the judge orders her to issue those licenses.

“I don’t want to discriminate against anybody”, she said tearfully.