A federal judge legalized same-sex marriage in Alaska on Sunday. Governor Sean Parnell said in a press release he will appeal the ruling in order to “defend and uphold the law and the Alaska Constitution.”
Judge Timothy Burgess found that the same-sex marriage ban was a violation of both due process and equal protection under the 14th amendment. He ordered the state to immediately start issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples and to recognize legal marriages from other states.
Same-sex marriage bans in Nevada and Idaho were overturned last week by the Ninth Circuit Court, which oversees Alaska. The Supreme Court declined to hear appeals for other rulings legalizing same-sex marriage.
The Division of Public Health says they will not waive the three-day waiting people for getting a marriage license, however they will start accepting applications from same-sex couples immediately.
Same-sex marriage is now legal in a majority of the country.
Anne Hillman is the healthy communities editor at Alaska Public Media and a host of Hometown, Alaska. Reach her at ahillman@alaskapublic.org. Read more about Anne here.
