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Developments on Gay Marriage Issue By AP from the NYTimes on the Web, March 6, 2004 New York City, Mar.5 -- Developments on the issue of gay marriage Friday: A New York state judge barred New Paltz's mayor from performing more same-sex marriages for a month, saying Jason West was ignoring his oath of office. West said he'd abide by the judge's decision while ``considering legal options.'' Lawyers for San Francisco answered efforts to invalidate thousands of same-sex marriages by telling the state Supreme Court that nothing in California's constitution requires local officials to obey laws they believe are unconstitutional. A coalition sued to block same-sex marriages in Oregon's Multnomah County, two days after officials sanctioned the practice and issued more than 700 licenses. The Wisconsin Assembly approved a proposed amendment to the state constitution to prohibit same-sex marriages or civil unions. The proposal must pass both houses of the Legislature twice and be approved by voters before it can take effect. The Kansas House backed a proposed amendment banning gay marriages and benefits that associate marriage to other relationships. The measure now goes to the Senate, which could put it before voters in November. The Idaho Senate failed to bring a proposed amendment to ban gay marriages out of committee, likely ending its chances of going to voters this November. A state law banning gay marriage passed in 1996. Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox sent a letter to the Wayne County clerk saying state law prohibits marriage licenses being issued to same-sex couples. Earlier this week, a half dozen same-sex couples were refused marriage licenses there. About 50 gay couples, some singing wedding songs and carrying bouquets, traveled in a caravan from town to town around New York's Long Island on Friday in a futile search for any official willing to issue them marriage licenses. A lesbian couple asked West Virginia's Supreme Court to force the Kanawha County Clerk's Office to start issuing same-sex marriage licenses.
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