Michigan equality lawyer: Decision not to recognise marriages is ‘head-spinning’
One of the lawyers who helped strike down Michigan’s marriage ban has described the decision to not recognise same-sex marriages conducted last weekend as ‘head spinning’ and difficult to defend.
Speaking at an Americans for Marriage Equality event today, Ken Mogill hit out at Governor Rick Snyder’s decision not to recognise the 300+ same-sex marriages carried out before a stay was granted.
He said: “[The governor] said that the marriages were legal but that the state would not recognize them on the basis of the state.
“I would not want to be one of the governor’s lawyers trying to defend that position in court. It’s kind of a head-spinning position.”
Governor Snyder said earlier this week that “we believe those are legal and valid marriages”, but that the state will not recognise them until the stay is lifted.
The federal government is yet to issue guidance on if they will recognise 300+ marriages, but Democrats in the state today urged the Attorney General to legally recognise the couples.
