Maine joins lawsuits to overturn laws banning same-sex marriage

Source: Bangor Daily News

AUGUSTA, Maine — Maine will sign on to two Supreme Court briefs that seek to overturn laws prohibiting same-sex marriage, the state’s attorney general announced Thursday.

On Thursday, the state signed on to an amicus brief asking the high court to rule that California’s Proposition 8 is unconstitutional. The law bans marriages of same-sex couples.

The state will sign on to a brief to be filed Friday asking the court to strike down the federal Defense of Marriage Act.

“Equal protection under the law is the bedrock on which America’s legal foundation is built,” Attorney General Janet Mills said in a press release Thursday. “I was proud that Maine voters were the first to approve marriage equality at the ballot box last November and I am proud to join this effort to ensure that more people in America can have the freedom to marry whomever they choose. I hope the Supreme Court will grant all married couples the benefits of federal tax retirement, Social Security and other benefits.”

Read more: http://bangordailynews.com/2013/02/28/news/maine-joins-lawsuits-to-overturn-laws-banning-same-sex-marriage/