U.S. District Judge Scott Skavdahl struck down Wyoming's ban on same-sex marriage last week, finding the ban unconstitutional. He stayed his decision until next Thursday, unless the parties involved indicated they would not carry the issue further.
More below the orange tumbleweed.
Wyoming's Attorney General Peter Michael (R) said about the decision, "After reviewing the law and the judge's decision that binding precedent requires recognition of same-sex marriage, I have concluded that further legal process will result in delay but not a different result." He noted marriages can begin immediately after he files the formal motion to vacate the case with the District Court.
He directed the Laramie County Clerk's Office to begin issuing licenses immediately. (Laramie County is the most populous county in Wyoming, and includes the state capital, Cheyenne.) He expects the other counties in Wyoming to begin issuing licenses shortly.
Governor Matt Mead (R) noted that while the decision goes against his personal beliefs, Wyoming will not take up an appeal as it would likely fail. (Are we beginning to note either a sense of fiscal responsibility from Republicans, or a sense of inevitability?)
Cheyenne is 130 miles from my home in Nebraska. It borders both Kimball and Banner Counties in the Nebraska Panhandle, and my own county is on the other side of those.
To paraphrase Sarah Palin, marriage equality is now so close to me I can see it from my backyard.
Will Nebraska be the last state standing? I don't think that would be a thing the Cornhusker State should be proud of. Nebraska is rapidly being surrounded by states that uphold equal treatment under the law.
That leaves eighteen states where marriage equality is not yet a reality. (Missouri recognises them from other states but does not permit them.) Perhaps it is time to start a betting pool to see which will be the last domino to fall.