Update: Kentucky Governor will hire lawyers to appeal ruling to allow out-of-state gay marriages

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Despite an announcement by the Kentucky Attorney General that he would not appeal against a ruling to recognise same-sex marriages performed in other states, its Governor has other plans.

In an announcement which came minutes after Attorney General Jack Conway’s decision to not appeal, Governor Steve Beshear said he would hire outside attorneys in order to challenge the ruling.

A US federal judge earlier this month struck down a Kentucky ban on the recognition of same-sex marriages from other states.

US District Judge John G Heyburn upheld the ruling, and said the ban violated the guarantee of equal protection under the US Constitution in a final ruling made last week.

State Attorney General Jack Conway on Tuesday announced that he did not intend to appeal against the ruling, saying: “Judge Heyburn got it right.”

Conway previously asked for a three month delay on the order requiring the state to recognise out-of-state same-sex couples, to decide how to proceed with the issue, but seemingly made up his mind in a matter of days.