Idaho Governor Butch Otter has announced that same-sex marriages will be allowed to begin tomorrow in the Gem State as planned. As BuzzFeed reports, Otter's office issued a statement that made sure to note the governor's continued belief in "traditional marriage":
“The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has issued its mandate for enforcement of decisions overturning the Idaho Constitution’s prohibition on same-sex marriage effective at 10 a.m. MDT, 9 a.m. PDT on Wednesday, October 15. I continue to believe that the federal courts are mistaken in abandoning the sanctity of traditional marriage and in undermining the will of Idaho voters and each state’s right to define marriage. But we are civil society that respects the rule of law. We have done all we can through the courts for now to defend traditional marriage in Idaho.”
However, Otter is unlikely to end his battle against marriage equality here. As to "whether Otter will seek further review of the ruling from the three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit, something lawyers for Otter have suggested in prior filings that he will do", a spokesman, referring to the statement issued today, said, “We are saying nothing more than that.”
Interestingly, Otter's entrenchment on the subject of same-sex marriage places him at odds with his state's attorney general, also a Republican, who believes the fight is essentially over:
Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden had acknowledged on Monday in a court filing that the state would not be able to meet the standards for halting the marriages during any appeal. On Tuesday, Wasden’s spokesman, Todd Dvorak, told BuzzFeed News, “Attorney General [Wasden] currently has no plans for filing any legal challenge today or tomorrow.”
