Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin issued a series of executive orders which included removal of names of county clerks from marriage licenses, in an effort to accommodate religious beliefs of the elected officials.
"To ensure that the sincerely held religious beliefs of all Kentuckians are honored, I took action to revise the clerk marriage license form," he said in a statement.
The move by the governor comes after Rowan County clerk Kim Davis spent five days in prison in defiance of court orders to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. She insisted that signing on the licenses with her name on them was akin to her giving moral consent to the unions which were against her sincerely held religious beliefs.
Davis' decision to not issue marriage licenses was opposed by same-sex couples who took the matter to District court, which asked Davis to "do her job" and issue the licenses. The supporters of same-sex marriages had argued for imposing fines on her, and Davis was imprisoned after she refused to change her stance. She has challenged Judge Bunning's ruling at the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.
She was backed by many on the conservative side of the political debate. Bevin came to office, promising to reform the marriage licenses as one of the measures to protect religious freedom.
"While I have been a vocal supporter of the restoration of rights, for example, it is an issue that must be addressed through the legislature and by the will of the people. As we move into the new year and upcoming session, I look forward to working with legislators and stakeholders to build consensus and drive policy that makes a meaningful impact on the lives of all Kentuckians," Bevin said.
Former Governor of Kentucky, Steven Beshear, had held back on making any changes in the marriage licensing form, saying that action from legislature was required to alter the form, and that it was out of the hands of the governor to enforce that single-handedly.
Beshear had signed executive order in November to allow former felons to cast votes, which was repealed by the sitting governor.
Bevin's measure to reform the marriage license was not welcomed by Fayette county clerk Don Blevins, who argued, "Hundreds of years from now, these licenses will be used by genealogists and researchers. Having the names of all the parties involves is very important when you're talking about a permanent record, for purely practical purposes."
"I'm not pleased at all by this," he told the Huffington Post. "This has gotten out of hand."
However, the Liberty Counsel, which represented Davis in court, said in a statement that the new measures absolve her from having to choose between duty and religious beliefs.
"This is a wonderful Christmas gift for Kim Davis," the group said. "Kim can celebrate Christmas with her family knowing she does not have to choose between her public office and her deeply-held religious convictions."
