U.S. District Court Judge Daniel Crabtree today ordered that any Kansas law or policy that prohibits issuing same-sex licenses to same-sex couples in Kansas was declared void and violated the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
His ruling follows an earlier U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the issue of gay marriage. His ruling also says that the state must recognize same-sex marriages on the same terms and conditions that apply to opposite-sex couples.
Crabtree mentioned these actions as violating the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution:
– The clerk defendants, their officers, agents, and employees’ policy of refusing to license same-sex marriages on the same terms that apply to opposite-sex marriages;
– Secretary Susan Mosier, her officers, agents, and employees’ policy of refusing to distribute marriage-related forms and administer marriage records in a manner recognizing valid same-sex marriages solemnized in Kansas and elsewhere;
– Secretary Nick Jordan, his officers, agents, and employees’ policies of: a. refusing to allow same-sex married couples to file married status income tax returns; and b. refusing to process tax filings by same-sex couples on the same terms that the KDOR applies to opposite-sex married couples;
– Director Lisa Kaspar, her officers, agents, and employees’ policy of refusing to permit same-sex spouses to obtain driver’s licenses in their married names through the same procedures that the KDV makes available to opposite-sex spouses;
– Director Mike Michael, his officers, agents, and employees’ policy of refusing to accept and approve applications by same-sex spouses for dependent health care benefits under the SEHP on the same terms that apply to opposite-sex spouses.
The sides in the case will have until Sept. 15 to submit more material on claims for injunctive relief, and each side will have 21 days to respond to the other.
To see the decision, visit https://ecf.ksd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/show_public_doc?2014cv2518-126.