A nice day for a white wedding in Arizona – marriage licenses are being issued now

Geez! I go to take care of some business this morning, and by the time I get back, I learn that Tom Horne’s press conference scheduled for Monday has been moved up to this morning, and this happened: Ariz. gay marriage legal; couples to marry immediately:

Arizona same-sex couples can begin marrying immediately, after Attorney General Tom Horne announced this morning he will not appeal the court ruling striking down Arizona’s marriage restriction.

Horne said legal ethics dictated he drop any appeal of the 9th Circuit court’s ruling.

WhyMarriage Matters

Horne has issued a letter (.pdf) instructing county clerks to grant marriage licenses to same-sex couples immediately.

“Effective immediately, the clerks of Arizona county superior courts cannot deny a marriage license to any otherwise eligible licensees on the grounds that the license permits a marriage between persons of the same sex,” Horne wrote in his letter.

Arizona now becomes the 31st state to allow same-sex couples to marry.

County clerks are expected to be at various stages of readiness for couples who have been anticipating the ruling.

Maricopa County clerk’s offices were ready to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, pending Horne’s directions. Some locations already had couples waiting in lobbies as Horne made the announcement, Deputy Clerk of the Maricopa County Superior Court Chris Kelly said.

The clerk’s office took its marriage license computer system down at 9:30 a.m. to make sure it would be running when the announcement was made. “We had been planning for several months,” including seeking advice from officials in other states on their marriage license transition, Kelly said.

Other counties, including Pima County, have outside companies print licenses and have said it could take them some time to get new licenses printed.

The Tucson Weekly reports this last part is inaccurate. UPDATE: You Can Marry Today, Right Now at Pima County Clerk’s Office:

According to the Pima County Clerk’s office, flooded with phone calls at the moment, you can come down there right now — right now and get married. They will have new license in on Monday with the language changed, but if you want to get married today, you can and just cross off what doesn’t apply and then go back on Monday to get a new license at no extra charge.

In addition, the advocacy organization Why Marriage Matters Arizona will be holding  a victory rally in Phoenix and Tucson tonight at 6:00 p.m.

Screenshot from 2014-10-17 11:53:44

h/t Why Marriage Matters Arizona

10 thoughts on “A nice day for a white wedding in Arizona – marriage licenses are being issued now”

  1. For this one moment…I almost feel like I’m living in a state with sense… progressive and not regressive. Can we PLEASE keep this momentum going??!!

    • This isn’t necessarily a political victory, but a legal one.

      Arizona is and can be tremendously progressive. But we still have to fight the Dominionists. That fight will likely never completely come to an end.

  2. Wow, it’s kind of stunning to have been witness to this kind of seismic shift.

    Sometimes the arc of the moral universe takes a sharp left turn towards justice! 🙂

    • Check with the Court Clerk’s office. They may be able to put you in touch with the first couple to get a marriage license, and the first to be married today.

  3. Let’s celebrate Marriage Equality Day! It’s been a long time coming. While my husband and I are straight we will be going to a lot of weddings soon to celebrate with our gay and lesbian friends. Everybody should raise a glass tonight!

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