5th Circuit Court tells Louisiana to recognize same-sex marriages; Jindal administration still balks

A Federal appeals court, unsurprisingly, ruled Wednesday that Louisiana, Texas and Mississippi must allow and recognize same-sex marriages in light of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling Friday legalizing the practice nationwide.

But while Gov. Bobby Jindal’s administration previously had said it was waiting on that 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling before recognizing same-sex marriages, top state officials dug in their heels Wednesday and said they wouldn’t change course until a district court orders them to do so.

That only widens the gap between the administration and the reality on the ground across the state. Clerks or other officials in nearly all parishes have now said they will issue licenses to same-sex couples, even as Jindal administration officials continue to tell state agencies to hold off on accepting them as valid.

The administration’s delay in accepting the Supreme Court’s ruling may be behind another point of conflict that cropped up on Wednesday as members of newly married same-sex couples seeking to change the name on their driver’s licenses to reflect their union found their efforts thwarted by the Office of Motor Vehicles.

Read more: http://theadvocate.com/news/12803694-123/drivers-license-name-change-new (Baton Rouge Advocate)