Equality news round-up: Commentary on marriage at the Supreme Court
Some coverage of commentary on the issue of marriage equality at the Supreme Court.
Continue 15 Comments September 30, 2014
Archives – September, 2014
What to Expect from Supreme Court Marriage Meeting
By Matt Baume
There’s trouble brewing in Louisiana, where two judges have issued opposite rulings over the state’s marriage ban. A ruling could come any day now in Missouri. And we have new Census numbers on how many couples have actually taken advantage of marriage equality.
This is the week when the Supreme Court meets to decide whether to take a marriage case. After meeting in conference on Monday, the Justices will announce their decision next week, on October 6th. Currently, cases from Virginia, Indiana, Wyoming, Utah and Oklahoma are ready for consideration. The court could take one case, or several, or none at all.
Less than a month ago, a federal judge in Louisiana was the first to uphold a marriage ban since the Supreme Court invalidated DOMA. Now a state judge has issued an opposite ruling in a different case, finding that the ban is unconstitutional. Judge Edward Rubin also compared the ban to Louisiana’s racist “separate but equal” laws that The Supreme Court upheld in Plessy v. Ferguson. Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell has already filed an appeal.
The next ruling in Louisiana could come as early as November. A federal court has consolidated Louisiana’s federal case with a case from Texas, with a final brief due on November 7th. Or the next big marriage decision could come from Missouri. A judge there heard arguments on Friday that the state’s marriage ban is unconstitutional. The state countered that they should be allowed to limit marriage if they want to. The judge could rule in the Missouri case any day now.
Two new national polls show support for marriage equality continues to outstrip opposition. A survey from CBS and The New York Times places support at 56% to 37%. This is the lowest level of opposition ever recorded by this poll. But a Pew survey puts the numbers much closer, at 49 to 41 percent. This doesn’t mean that support is actually dropping — it’s just one survey. And if you look at every national survey together, support is still heading up into the high fifties.
Finally this week, a new report from the Census Bureau shows that over a quarter million gay and lesbian couples have married since 2004. That’s roughly equivalent to the entire population of Wyoming.
35 Comments September 29, 2014
Supreme Court will look at marriage cases today for the first time this term
The Justices take their first look at seven marriage equality petitions. They’ll consider cases from the Fourth, Seventh, and Tenth Circuits. The cases are from Virginia, Utah, Oklahoma, Indiana, and Wisconsin.
Continue 71 Comments September 29, 2014
Equality news round-up: News on marriage cases from Louisiana, Missouri, and more
Attorney General Eric Holder to resign, and more.
Continue 98 Comments September 26, 2014
Marriage cases from Louisiana and Texas will be heard by same three-judge panel in Fifth Circuit
The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals will hear marriage cases from Louisiana and Texas at the same time; both appeals will be heard by the same three-judge panel.
Continue 53 Comments September 25, 2014
Equality news round-up: SCOTUS conference coming up, and more
News from Virginia, Louisiana, and more.
Continue 21 Comments September 25, 2014
