Kansas Attorney General Vows Fight Against Supreme Court Gay Marriage Ruling

The U.S. Supreme Court allowed same-sex marriage to proceed in Kansas on Thursday by lifting a stay on the state's ban, but state Attorney General Derek Schmidt argues that the Supreme Court decision only applies to two counties in Kansas.

On Thursday, the Supreme Court denied a request from Kansas state officials to deny same-sex couples from getting married while several lawsuits are challenging the same-sex marriage ban in the state.

Attorney General Schmidt argues that the Supreme Court decision only applies to two counties who are serving as defendants in same-sex marriage lawsuits, Douglas County and Sedgwick County.

Schmidt's approach to the Supreme Court decision has prompted several county clerks to say they will wait for further instructions from the attorney general before issuing same-sex marriage licenses.

"Until I hear something from the Kansas Supreme Court, I'm not issuing any marriage licenses," Johnson County Clerk Sandra McCurdy, who currently has 70 pending same-sex marriage licenses, told the Associated Press.

Kansas' Republican Governor Sam Brownback also issued a statement suggesting he would seek to uphold the same-sex marriage ban in the state for as long as he could.

"I swore an oath to support the Constitution of the State of Kansas," Brownback said in a statement. "I will review this ruling with the attorney general and see how best we continue those efforts."

The American Civil Liberties Union, which is behind multiple lawsuits in the state to have the ban overturned, has said the Supreme Court's recent decision means all 105 counties can begin distributing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.