A couple at Halloween in West Hollywood last Friday (more photos here) | Photo by Tom Andrews/LAist
It didn't take long for the LA County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk to take action yesterday evening. A notice from their office was sent shortly after 6:00 p.m:
After consultation with legal counsel, Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk Dean Logan is suspending the issuance of marriage licenses and civil marriage ceremonies for same-sex couples based on the Secretary of State’s Semi-Official canvass results from Election Night and the California State Constitutional provision that states “(a) proposed amendment or revision shall be submitted to the electors and if approved by a majority of votes thereon takes effect the day after the election.
But with 1.6 million votes estimated to be uncounted statewide (hence the editorial emphasis on "Semi-Official canvass results"), should action have been taken so quickly? The office also says that if they are directed by courts or a state regulatory agency to change or further their action, they will act immediately.
Proposition 8, which sought to eliminate gay marriage in California, has won so far by around 492,000 votes.
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Well if they're placing a legal challenge to Prop 8, it would make sense to err on the side of caution. Don't want to seem like an activist county board disregarding the "will of the people" while the whole thing is going on. Unless you want to give Yes on 8 people something to point fingers at.
i am not surprised that LA county took seconds to suspend same sex marriages. since folks did have trouble issuing these licenses for a quick minute in June 2008. d'oh. :(
Exit polls in California found that 70 percent of black voters backed the ban. Slightly more than half of Latino voters, who made up almost 20 percent of voters, favored the ban, while 53 percent of whites opposed it.
@lahipster - being that it is the second time you posted that info - how do you actually feel about that? Just pointing it out? Or is there a thought to it?
On the Frosty, Heidi, and Frank show yesterday, a person who worked in the OC office handing out licenses was saying that his office had not been informed to cease handing out licenses - and even offered to drive down to LA and issue a license for Heidi (who has been considering marrying her girlfriend). He pointed out that if she did get married today(yesterday) that even if they stopped licenses, she would still be married - and it wouldn't void any marriages prior to the day it became "illegal" (hate the use of that word).
He is right though - I forget the legal term - but if you're able to do something and then it becomes illegal - they can't go after you after the fact. More similar - the golden gopher in downtown has a valid liquor license issued in 1905 - which allows them to sell bottles of liquor to go. They stopped issuing those license - yet they couldn't revoke their valid license.