Gov. Steve Beshear is defending his administration’s legal arguments in favor of the state’s same-sex marriage ban.
In his decision earlier this week striking down the law, U.S. District Judge John Heyburn wrote that the state’s arguments are “not those of serious people.”
Attorneys for the state have argued that Kentucky has an economic interest in promoting heterosexual marriage because it contributes to a stable birth rate. The governor told cn2 that his goal is to clarify the rules so Kentuckians will understand where the law stands.
"The lawyers' jobs on each side are to get all the arguments in front of the court so that the court can make a reasoned decision. He has made a decision and now we're moving on. Hopefully, the 6th Circuit will make a decision quickly," he said.
So far, Beshear has declined to give his personal opinion on same-sex marriage.
The state is now preparing its second appeal, which will be heard in the 6th District Court of Appeals alongside similar cases in Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee on August 6.