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Clerks Receive Instructions From Governor Beshear On Gay Marriage Licenses

cbs news

Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear has told the state's county clerks to issue marriage licenses to same sex couples following a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision.

Beshear sent a letter to all 120 county clerks telling them the Department of Libraries and Archives will send them a gender neutral form today along with instructions on how to use it. He told the clerks to consult with their county attorneys with specific questions, but said he knows they will respect the rule of law.

Beshear, a Democrat, made national news last year when he overruled the state's Democratic attorney general and hired outside attorneys to defend the state's same sex marriage ban. In the letter he told the clerks that while their oath and the Supreme Court cannot tell them what to believe, it does tell them how to act.

Beshear said in a statement that the state pursued its appeal to get a "final determination of what the law in this country would be" and that the ruling Friday "finally provides that clarity."

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