Recognition

There are two marriage cases from Michigan. The famous one is about same-sex couples' right to marry. It had a big trial last March with a favorable outcome, was overturned by the 6th Circuit, and is now before the Supremes. When that big announcement came out last March about 300 couples got married before the 6th Circuit issued a stay. Shortly after that Michigan Governor Rick Snyder proclaimed those 300 marriages are legal, but the state won't recognize them or provide any benefits (taxes, joint ownership, adoption, etc.). Eight couples sued for recognition, becoming the second case.

Last month a federal district judge ruled the state must recognize those marriages. A three-week stay was added to the ruling, giving the state time to appeal. That time is almost up and... Snyder will not appeal. Yay!

All the news reports I've seen highlight the words of Snyder. Conspicuously absent are words from Attorney General Bill Schuette. It was Schuette who wrote the Free Press editorial whining how he just had to support the rule of law and take that first case all the way to the Supremes. So did Snyder knock some sense into Shuette's head?

Gary Glenn, our nemesis who wrote Michigan's 2004 Marriage Protection Amendment and is now a member of the Michigan House, is pissed at Snyder. He's calling on Snyder to do what Schuette claimed must be done.

Between the Lines is reporting that arguing the marriage case before the Supremes will cost $1 million – and that's with the lawyers doing all their work for free. The cost includes such things as filing all the legal documents with the court, putting on mock trials so their brief time in front of the Supremes goes well, and getting advice and assistance from constitutional law experts. A group renamed itself from Michigan Marriage Challenge to National Marriage Challenge to raise money to meet those expenses.

In other marriage news...

The 11th Circuit has denied an extension of the stay in the Alabama case. The Supremes have until Monday to intervene. Otherwise marriages begin. The 11th Circuit has also put the Alabama and Florida cases on hold until the Supremes rule on the Michigan case.

The 8th Circuit has agreed to combine and expedite the marriage cases from Arkansas, Missouri, and South Dakota. Oral arguments are scheduled for mid May.

When the Defense of Marriage Act went before the Supremes John Boehner and GOP colleagues in the House spent $2 million to help defend it when Obama said he wouldn't. The Supremes ruled in our favor in June of 2013, which provided the legal framework for the mountain of same-sex marriage rulings that have come since. Now that marriage itself is before the Supremes Boehner and colleagues have announced they will sit this one out. That is great to hear. Haven't heard yet what their base thinks of that.