TEXAS: Clerk Won't Issue Licenses

Yesterday Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton declared that clerks can refuse to issue same-sex marriage licenses. Today we've got our first taker.

Trinity County Clerk Shasta Bergman issued a statement Monday that said she will not issue licenses to same-sex couples for religious reasons and as a matter of conscience. “However on the heels of the Supreme Court decision, my staff and I have worked out a solution that works for each person's religious freedoms as well as other personal beliefs and opinions,” Bergman said. “After checking with each deputy clerk in order to get their individual perspectives on this issue and to ensure that any decision was not going to trample the rights of any clerk by delegating the duty to someone who held the same religious beliefs as myself.” Bergman said as a result of the meeting between her and her staff, they have concluded that all marriage licenses will be given by appointment only to make sure no clerk is in a position to go against his or her beliefs, and no citizens are denied their rights to be provided with a marriage license. According to Bergman, there will be clerks available to issue licenses to same-sex couples, and there will be clerks that will not issue the licenses because of religious convictions.

Trinity County is near Houston and has a population of 14K. (Tipped by JMG reader Gene)