2.19.2015

Look What Just Happened In Austin


This was from two days ago: AUSTIN — Travis County Probate Judge Guy Herman ruled Tuesday that the Texas ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional, but the county will not begin issuing marriage licenses to gay couples.

Herman ruled as part of an estate fight in which Austin resident Sonemaly Phrasavath sought to have her eight-year relationship to Stella Powell deemed to have been a common-law marriage. Powell died last summer of colon cancer.

In a statement, Travis County Clerk Dana DeBeauvoir called Herman's order "a great step toward marriage equality," but added that the judge didn't instruct the county clerk to "begin to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples." DeBeauvoir said, therefore, she won't do so "at the present time."

Something changed.  If the new Texas Attorney General isn't sprinting to the courthouse to stop these evil-doers, I'd be stunned. He had already taken action to overturn the order from two days ago.

Edit: Here's the first news report.

Edit: Told ya. Texas Supreme Court orders stay for future marriage licenses. So for now, those two ladies are still married.