A county clerk in Arkansas intends to resign from her position because she doesn't believe in issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
Cleburne County Clerk Dana Guffey said Monday that she intends to step down June 30, according to ArkansasOnline, because she has a moral objection to same-sex marriage. The Huffington Post repeatedly tried to contact Guffey, but the line for her office was busy.
On Friday, the Supreme Court ruled that state bans on same-sex marriage are unconstitutional, making marriage equality the law of the land.
Couples have started to marry in every state since the decision, although there are a handful of state and local officials -- primarily in Southern states -- trying to hold out. In a few states, there are county clerks who -- instead of stepping down -- are simply refusing to issue any marriage licenses, including to straight couples, in order to avoid helping same-sex couples.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has told state workers that they don't have to issue licenses to same-sex couples if it violates their religious beliefs.
Alabama is also experiencing a significant amount of confusion. On Monday, the state Supreme Court issued an order delaying same-sex marriages for 25 days. Technically, there is a 25-day period after a U.S. Supreme Court decision to request a "rehearing" of a case. It is extremely unlikely that the court will do so on marriage equality, since it requires the agreement of a majority of justices.
At the same time, however, the Association of County Commissions of Alabama told probate judges that they have to follow the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling and issue same-sex marriage licenses.
Some Alabama counties have ignored the order to delay and have begun issuing licenses.
“There is no justification for delaying or obstructing the clear message of the Supreme Court of the United States -- marriage equality must begin in Alabama, and probate judges who stand in the way of that legal imperative risk exposing themselves to legal consequences," said Human Rights Campaign Legal Director Sarah Warbelow. "There is zero chance of marriage equality being reheard by the Supreme Court -- particularly given that all four states that were parties in this case have accepted the outcome -- and as a result the Court's holding in Obergefell v. Hodeges should be implemented across the country immediately.”
So far, there haven't been mass resignations. ArkansasOnline spoke with the president of the Arkansas Association of County Clerks, who said she had not heard of any more clerks planning to resign over the decision.
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