STATE OF NEBRASKA ®ffict nf tftt Attnmen o;entral · PDF fileDale A. Comer James A....
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SE OF NEBRASKA ®ffict nf t Anmen entl DON STENBERG ATIORNEY GENERAL DATE: Nu. 2115 STAT E CAPITOL BUILDING LINCOLN, NEBRASKA 68509-8920 (402) 471-2682 TDD (402) 471-2682 CAPITOL FAX (402) 471-3297 1235 K ST. FAX (402) 471-4725 STATE · N 0 F·F·1.c · t·A·L M- 2S. ... � · · JCE.- March 25, 1996 STEVE GRASZ LAURIE SMITH CAMP DEPUT Y ATIORNEYS GENERAL SUBJECT: Validity in Nebraska of Contracted in Another State Same-Sex Marriages REQUESTED BY: Senator Jim Jones District 43 WRITTEN BY: Don Stenberg, Attorney General Steve Grasz, Deputy Attorney General ·You have requested the opinion of this office as to the validity in Nebraska of same-sex marriages contracted in another state. Specifically, you have asked whether Nebraska is required to recognize a same-sex marriage contracted in the State of Hawaii, and whether Nebraska would be required to honor a same-sex marriage license from Hawaii if legislation was adopted in Nebraska prohibiting recognition of same-sex marriages, either before or after such marriages were legalized in Hawaii. The issues raised by your request have recently become of nationwide concern, with legislation reportedly ·adopted in at least two states, and being considered in thirty others. The source of the concern is a case now pending in the State of Hawaii. In Baehr v. Lewin, 852 P.2d 44 (Hawaii 1993), same-sex couples whose applications for marriage licenses were denied filed suit alleging that denial of the marriage licenses violated their rights under the Hawaii Constitut ion. The Hawaii Supreme Court concluded David K. Arterburn L. Jay Bartel J. Kirk Brown David T. Bydalek Delores N. Coe-Barbee Dale A. Comer James A. Elworth Lynne R. Fritz Royce N. Harper Lauren Lee HIii Jay C. Hinsley Amy Hollenbeck William L. Howland Marilyn B. Hutchinson Kimberly A. Klein Joseph P. Loudon Charles E. Lowe Lisa D. Martin-Price Lynn A. Melson Ronald D. Moravec F redrick F. Neid Marie C. Pawol Printed with soy Ink on recycled paper Kenneth W. Payne Alan E. Pedersen Paul N. Potadle Hobert B. Rupe James D. Smith James H. Spears Mark D. Starr T imothy J. Texel John R. Thompson Barry Wald Terri M. Weeks Alfonza Whitaker Melanie J. Whittamore-Mantzios Linda L. Willard
Transcript of STATE OF NEBRASKA ®ffict nf tftt Attnmen o;entral · PDF fileDale A. Comer James A....
STATE OF NEBRASKA
®ffict nf tftt Attnmen o;entral
DON STENBERG ATIORNEY GENERAL
DATE:
Nu.
2115 STAT E CAPITOL BUILDING
LINCOLN, NEBRASKA 68509-8920
(402) 471-2682
TDD (402) 471-2682
CAPITOL FAX (402) 471-3297
1235 K ST. FAX (402) 471-4725
STATE Of· NESR'Ml(A 0 F·F·1.c ·t·A·L
MAR- 2S. '996 ...
DEPT� ·OF · JUSTICE.-
March 25, 1996
STEVE GRASZ
LAURIE SMITH CAMP
DEPUT Y ATIORNEYS GENERAL
SUBJECT: Validity in Nebraska of Contracted in Another State
Same-Sex Marriages
REQUESTED BY: Senator Jim Jones District 43
WRITTEN BY: Don Stenberg, Attorney General Steve Grasz, Deputy Attorney General
·You have requested the opinion of this office as to thevalidity in Nebraska of same-sex marriages contracted in another state. Specifically, you have asked whether Nebraska is required to recognize a same-sex marriage contracted in the State of Hawaii, and whether Nebraska would be required to honor a same-sex marriage license from Hawaii if legislation was adopted in Nebraska prohibiting recognition of same-sex marriages, either before or after such marriages were legalized in Hawaii.
The issues raised by your request have recently become of nationwide concern, with legislation reportedly ·adopted in at least two states, and being considered in thirty others. The source of the concern is a case now pending in the State of Hawaii.
In Baehr v. Lewin, 852 P.2d 44 (Hawaii 1993), same-sex couples whose applications for marriage licenses were denied filed suit alleging that denial of the marriage licenses violated their rights under the Hawaii Cons ti tut ion. The Hawaii Supreme Court concluded
David K. Arterburn L. Jay Bartel J. Kirk Brown David T. Bydalek Delores N. Coe-Barbee Dale A. Comer James A. Elworth Lynne R. Fritz
Royce N. Harper Lauren Lee HIii Jay C. Hinsley Amy Hollenbeck William L. Howland Marilyn B. Hutchinson Kimberly A. Klein
Joseph P. Loudon Charles E. Lowe Lisa D. Martin-Price Lynn A. Melson Ronald D. Moravec Fredrick F. Neid Marie C. Pawol
Printed with soy Ink on recycled paper
Kenneth W. Payne Alan E. Pedersen Paul N. Potadle Hobert B. Rupe James D. Smith James H. Spears Mark D. Starr
T imothy J. Texel John R. Thompson Barry Wald Terri M. Weeks Alfonza Whitaker Melanie J. Whittamore-Mantzios Linda L. Willard
