It's hard to imagine the level of outright despise Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin must have for states that allow same sex marriages. Today, Oklahoma took the bold step and reversed course on all benefits extended to National Guard members who were legally married in other states.
In a policy reversal, the Oklahoma National Guard will no longer process benefit requests from same-sex couples after being notified by Gov. Mary Fallin's office that doing so violates state law banning gay marriage.
Initially, the Oklahoma National Guard said as long as a soldier seeking benefits for their same-sex partner presented a marriage certificate or license, the claim would be treated as it would for any other soldier. The guard processed two same-sex requests before being notified by Gov. Fallin's general counsel Sept. 6 that the state constitution prohibited such actions.
“Because of that legal prohibition, Oklahoma National Guard soldiers and airmen will not process requests for same-sex benefits,” Guard spokesman Col. Max Moss said Tuesday. The guard has received no requests since being notified of the policy change.
It'd be easy to just say this is one of those flukey things if other states were not taking similar action.
Officials in Texas, Mississippi and Louisiana, also citing state laws banning gay marriage, also have said they won't issue applications from state-owned offices, but instead are directing guard members to federal installations. Officials in 11 other states that ban gay marriage have said they will follow federal law and process all couples seeking benefits the same, according to the Associated Press.
Making sure it will be challenged in court.
It's also an example of why Oklahoma's constitutional provision banning gay marriage violates the U.S Constitution's equal protection and due process clauses, Redman said.
“You have two lawfully married couples being treated differently,” Redman said. “I strongly encourage Gov. Fallin and other leaders to look at that disparity in treatment in these policies and justify that disparity when the Supreme Court says it's unequal and not appropriate.”
The real decision being made here is that statehouses are willing to spend incredible amounts of state resources, legal bills and long fights through courthouses rather then spend to do the right thing. This has nothing to do with saying "we don't want to spend the money on.." it has everything to do with a antiquated idea that you can force a religious philosophy down someone's throat and call it government.
The fact that state tax dollars are being used to wage this kind of war against a class of people is despicable, and hopefully Governor Fallin wakes up to at least the waste of money and resources.