In a follow up to the “Arrogant lawmakers” column below, the Oregon State Supreme Court addressed the issue of gay marriage today.

In a unanimous ruling, the Oregon Supreme Court determined that the cabal of Multnomah County Commissioners, scurrying around in the middle of the night during backroom discussions excluding the one commissioner who might (and subsequently did) oppose both their method and their conclusions; acted illegally and without authority to issue marriage licenses to gay couples.

To recap: all of the female county commissioners in Multnomah decided that their oaths of office were meaningless suggestions. They woke up, apparently, one day and felt themselves superior to the law of the state that they had taken an oath to follow.

They arbitrarily, without authority and without public discussion, decided to tell the people of Multnomah County that the state laws governing them were mere guidance and that they, the female posse of county commissioners, could summarily ignore those laws when they felt like it and issue same-sex marriage licenses as if they ever would be valid.

They collectively and illegally exercised this abuse of power to make a political statement. They, collectively, support gay marriage. They, collectively, felt the laws in this area of government to be "wrong," so they, collectively, minus the only male member of the commission, implemented changes in the law knowing that the final outcome would be their utter defeat.

These women are not stupid. They knew what they were doing was both illegal and unethical. So, what was the result?

The shattered dreams of thousands of gay couples who believed in these commissioners.

To believe in these commissioners, however, those couples had to put on blinders.

Nevertheless, their hopes at achieving parity with straight couples were shattered by a group of manipulative, dishonest and self-serving politicians… politicians who could not work within the system they were sworn to uphold to gain the changes in law they were, apparently, so desperate to achieve.

Massive arrogance. The height of hypocrisy.

And, oh yeah... they are all democrats. Stunning, isn't it?

To quote the bumper sticker: "Don't like the Second Amendment? Then change it."



April 14, 2005
Court voids same-sex marriage licenses

By CHARLES E. BEGGS -ssociated Press Writer and katu.com staff
SALEM, Ore. (AP) - In a nunanimous ruling the Oregon Supreme Court on Thursday nullified nearly 3,000 marriage licenses issued to same-sex couples by Multnomah County a year ago.

The court said while the county can question the constitutionality of laws governing marriage, they are a matter of statewide concern so the county had no authority to issue licenses to gay couples.

The court noted that last November, Oregonians approved a constitutional amendment that limits marriages to a man and a woman. The court also said that long before that vote, state law had set the same limitations on marriages since Oregon became a state.

"Today, marriage in Oregon - an institution once limited to opposite-sex couples only by statute - now is so limited by the state Constitution as well," the court ruling said.

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