Attorney General Dustin McDaniel continues his play to string out the challenge of Arkansas’s same-sex marriage ban as long as possible.
He’s asked both the Arkansas Supreme Court and a federal district judge to delay hearing challenges. The U.S. Supreme Court might take up a Utah case. It might rule contrary to the 20 or so rulings in favor of equality so far. Why waste time and trouble interpreting the state and U.S. Constitution now?
Well, one reason is the matter of that little ol’ state Constitution. It’s get an equal protection clause, too. It was arguably overriden by the voter-approved 2004 amendment against same-sex marriage. But it, too, is an issue.
Another reason is this: Did all the civil rights cases in all the ’60s get put on hold while attorney generals argued that other states should go first and, in the meanwhile, let’s us just keep on discriminating.
Has anybody asked the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals to put off hearing decisions that could end discrimination in several states? What does Dustin McDaniel know that others don’t know?
I guess when Dustin struck his deal with the Family Council and Republicans to preserve his office in return for fighting fiercely for unconstitutional abortion and gay discrimination legislation, he was determined to deliver.