Marriage Equality comes to Alaska

[justiceischeap]

Today, U.S. District Court Judge Timothy Burgess ruled Alaska’s same-sex marriage ban is unconstitutional, making Alaska the latest state to see such a ban struck down in court since the U.S. Supreme Court handed down its historic marriage rulings last June. In Hamby v. Parnell, five couples sued the state arguing that Alaska’s ban on marriage equality violates the U.S. Constitution. In his ruling, Judge Burgess wrote, “The court finds that Alaska’s ban on same-sex marriage and refusal to recognize same sex marriages lawfully entered in other states is unconstitutional as a deprivation of basic due process and equal protection principles under the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.” With today’s ruling, 30 states plus the District of Columbia now guarantee marriage equality for same-sex couples. In 1998, Alaska’s constitutional amendment was the first state constitutional ban in the nation prohibiting same-sex couples from marrying.

http://www.hrc.org/m/marriage-equality-arrives-in-alaska

Someone recently predicted on DU that Alaska would be the last state to usher in marriage equality however, as of last night, their prediction was moot.

[RoverSuswade]

1. Be on the lookout

for more Palins vs. Anybody they don't like. More fistfights then no charges.