In Montgomery County in Pennsylvania, the Register of Wills D. Bruce Hanes said that he had decided to grant licenses to gay couples to get married because he wants to come down “on the right side of history and the law”, despite a state law forbidding such marriages. Two female couples have already received licenses and got married. I am not sure what will happen when the couples apply for marriage benefits or file taxes jointly.
Recall that there is already a legal challenge to the Pennsylvania law that the state’s attorney general has said that she will not defend. The Republican governor has not said what he will do yet.
An interesting profile of the clerk who wants to stop SSM in California:
http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/San-Diego-County-clerk-challenges-gay-marriage-4682942.php
Not really what I expected.
I believe Gov. Corbett has said he would not support a repeal of the same-sex marriage ban, so it wouldn’t surprise me if he either somehow forces Atty Gen. Kane to have the couples and the clerk prosecuted, or just find a work-around. It’s not like such a move would have a significant impact on his already horrible approval rating.