Today, the Washington Supreme Court will rule on a case put into motion 16 months ago by 19 same-sex couples challenging the state's Defense of Marriage Act, passed in 1998. The news should be out later this morning, so I'll update as soon as I know.
Seattle Times: “Experts see three likely outcomes: One upholds DOMA, another strikes it down, granting gays and lesbians the right to marry, and a third punts the question to the Legislature. The couples, if they lose, can't appeal. Their suit is based on state constitutional law and the Supreme Court, for them is the end of the line.”
Here's what David Postman speculates will happen following the ruling:
“If DOMA is tossed out, my guess is a Republican lawmaker will call for a special session within an hour of the decision being made public to push for a Constitutional Amendment banning gay marriage.
If the law is ruled unconstitutional, there would likely be legislative action necessary before gays could marry. I doubt Democrats would be in a big hurry to do that and would likely wait until next year's legislative session.
What do gay marriage supporters do if DOMA is upheld? I suppose there could be a legislative push for civil unions.”
One liberal Republican is predicting that the court will strike down the state's DOMA.
We shall see.
