Lawsuit Filed Against Paterson For Same-Sex Marriage Directive
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- June
- 3
Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund filed a lawsuit today in Manhattan to halt Gov. Paterson’s order last month to require state agencies to recognize same-sex marriages from other jurisdictions.
A number of lawmakers have joined in on the suit, includes Sen. Marty Golden, R-Brooklyn; Serphin Maltese, R-Queens; Assembly Republican Minority Leader James Tedisco, R-Schenectady; Assemblyman Daniel Burling, R-Warsaw, Wyoming County;ÂÂ and Brian Kolb, R-Canandaigua.
Other plaintiffs include Conservative Party chairman Michael Long and New Yorkers For Constitutional Freedoms head Duane Motley
“The governor should respect New York’s marriage laws over the laws of foreign jurisdictions. The governor has no authority to issue directives which conflict with New York’s public policy. His actions are an assault on the democratic process,” said ADF Senior Legal Counsel Brian Raum.
“The future of marriage should be decided by the legislature, not executives who take matters into their own hands,” Raum said.
On May 14, Paterson issued an executive directive ordering all state agencies to review their policy statements, regulations, and statutes â€Å“to ensure that terms such as â€Ëœspouse,’ â€Ëœhusband,’ and â€Ëœwife’ are construed in a manner that encompasses legal same-sex marriages.”
The directive gives same-sex married couples the same rights as heterosexual couples, even though New York doesn’t allow for same-sex marriages.
The lawsuit claims that Paterson overstepped his bounds.
Attorney General Andrew Cuomo just told reporters that he will defend the state in the case, and said he personally supports same-sex marriage.
“It is the law,” he said of the state’s need to allow for same-sex marriage rights in New York because of a court case in Monroe County that ruled a couple should get the same benefits as others after being married in Canada.
This entry was posted
on Tuesday, June 3rd, 2008 at 3:19 pm by Joseph Spector.
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