Kim Davis, the Kentucky county clerk who made national headlines last summer after refusing to issue marriage licenses over her opposition to same-sex “marriage,” won in the end.
With little fanfare, and barely a mention, Gov. Matt Bevin has signed into law a bill that transforms the state’s marriage license form and removes the requirement that county clerks must sign or affix their official seal to them. He called it a “statutory finality” to the issue of marriage licenses in his state.
“We now have a single form that accommodates all concerns,” he told the media after it was announced the bill had been signed into law. “Everyone benefits from this common sense legislation. There is no additional cost or work required by our county clerks. They are now able to fully follow the law without being forced to compromise their religious liberty.”
That was all Davis had been asking for when she refused to comply with a court order to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. She was jailed for five days for contempt of court, but released after some of her deputies agreed to issue the licenses in her stead.
The bill that Bevin signed into law passed through both chambers of the Kentucky legislature unanimously. Davis has not personally responded to the news, but Mat Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel—and who represented her in her court case—issued the following statement:
“The First Amendment guarantees Kim and every American the free exercise of religion, even when they are working for the government. County clerks should not be forced to license something that is prohibited by their religious convictions. To provide a license is to provide approval and places a legal authority behind the signature. We celebrate this legislative victory. County clerks are now able to fully follow the law without being forced to compromise their religious liberty.”
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