OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — A judge in northeast Kansas has cleared the way for what could be the first gay marriage in the state.
Johnson County Chief District Judge Kevin Moriarty on Wednesday ordered his county to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples following actions earlier this week by the U.S. Supreme Court. He says it was meant to avoid confusion about the legal climate surrounding gay marriages.
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday refused to hear appeals from five states seeking to preserve their bans on gay marriage. One of them was Utah, which is in the same federal appeals court circuit as Kansas.
The Kansas Constitution has banned gay marriage since 2005.
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