Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/337169
ByDavidCrary The Associated Press Oneyearago,theU.S.Su- preme Court issued a pair of landmark rulings, one striking down the statute that denied federal recogni- tion to same-sex marriages and the other clearing the way for gay couples to wed legally in California. In the 12 months since then, the ripple effects of those rulings have trans- formed the national debate over same-sex marriage, convincing many people on both sides that its spread na- tionwide is inevitable. From the East Coast to the Midwest and the Pa- cific, seven more states le- galized same-sex mar- riage, boosting the total to 19, plus Washington, D.C. The Obama administration moved vigorously to extend federal benefits to married gay couples. And in 17 con- secutive court decisions, fed- eral and state judges have upheld the right of gays to marry. Not a single ruling has gone the other way. A look back at some of the notable developments since June 26, 2013: July On July 1, five days after the high court rulings, two men who had been part- ners since 1989 tried to ob- tain a marriage license at a courthouse in Norfolk, Vir- ginia. Timothy Bostic and Tony London were turned down, and filed a lawsuit a few weeks later arguing that Virginia's treatment of gays and lesbians was unequal in depriving them of the many benefits of marriage. Another gay couple was later added to the case, and in February a federal judge, Arenda L. Wright Allen, ruled in their favor, saying Virginia's ban on gay mar- riage was unconstitutional. October Moments after midnight on Oct. 21, gay couples be- gan exchanging vows in New Jersey as their state became the 14th to allow same-sex marriages. A state judge, in the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Court de- cisions, had ruled in Sep- tember that New Jersey's provisions for civil unions were not adequate to en- sure equality for gay cou- ples. The state's politically ambitious Republican gov- ernor, Chris Christie, had fought for years against gay marriage, but within hours of the first weddings he dropped his still-pending appeal of the court ruling. "The governor will do his constitutional duty and en- sure his administration en- forces the law," a statement from his office said. November In the span of a week, the governors of Hawaii and Il- linois signed laws passed by the legislature legalizing same-sex marriage. In Hawaii, tourism offi- cials looked ahead to the possibility of becoming a gay wedding mecca. Some activists looked back — re- calling that Hawaii was an early battleground in the gay marriage debate. The state Supreme Court had ruled in 1993 that gay couples should have mar- riage rights, triggering a backlash that included con- gressional passage of the Defense of Marriage Act in 1994. It was a key part of that act — forbidding the federal government from recogniz- ing same-sex marriages — that the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a year ago. In Illinois, Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn signed the marriage bill on a desk once used by President Abra- ham Lincoln. Among those speaking at the ceremony was state Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka, a Republican. "History will show that we got it right on this one," she said. "I am available to be a flower girl, and I'll even waive the fee." December New Mexico became the 17th state to legalize same- sex marriage on Dec. 19, through a unanimous rul- ing by the state Supreme Court. Some opponents dis- cussed trying to overturn the ruling with a ballot measure, but that effort gained no traction. The Re- publican governor, Susana Martinez, urged New Mex- icans to "respect one an- other in their discourse" and turn their focus to other issues. A day after that ruling, a federal judge in Utah cre- ated even bigger waves, striking down the ban on gay marriage that voters in the conservative state had approved in 2004. It was the first of more than dozen similar rulings to follow by judges in other states. U.S. District Judge Rob- ert Shelby, a former Army combat engineer, said in his 53-page decision that Utah failed to show how allowing same-sex marriages would harm opposite-sex mar- riages in any way. "In the absence of such evidence, the state's un- supported fears and spec- ulations are insufficient to justify the state's refusal to dignify the family relation- ships of its gay and lesbian citizens," he wrote. More than 1,000 gay and lesbian couples wed in Utah before Shelby's ruling was stayed. May Late in the afternoon of Friday, May 9, a county cir- cuit judge in Little Rock struck down Arkansas' 10-year-old ban on gay mar- riages. A week passed before Judge Chris Piazza's ruling was stayed by the state Su- preme Court, creating an opening in which more than 540 gay couples received marriage licenses — the first batch of gay weddings in the former Confederacy. In Oregon, U.S. District Judge Michael McShane threw out the state's same- sex marriage ban on May 18. Oregon swiftly became the 18th state to allow gay marriage, since top govern- ment officials had refused to defend the ban. The next day, on the other side of the country, U.S. District Judge John E. Jones III struck down Penn- sylvania's marriage law. "We are a better people than what these laws rep- resent, and it is time to dis- card them into the ash heap of history," Jones wrote in his decision. Republican Gov. Tom Cor- bett, though opposed to gay marriage, said he would not appeal, and Pennsylvania became the 19th state where gay couples could wed. June As the anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's mar- riage rulings approached, marriage-equality lawsuits were pending in all 31 of the states that still barred gays from marrying. On Wednesday, a federal judge in Indiana struck down that state's ban. And more notably, the first rul- ing was issued at the level of the federal appellate courts. A 2-1 decision from the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with Shelby that Utah's gay-marriage ban was unconstitutional. EQUALITY Hu ge a dv an ce s fo r ga y ma rri ag e in p as t ye ar THEASSOCIATEDPRESS Gay rights advocate Vin Testa waves a rainbow flag in front of the Supreme Court in Washington in June 2013. One year ago, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a pair of landmark rulings, one striking down a law that denied federal recognition to same-sex marriages and the other clearing the way for gay couples to wed legally in California. 1 AT THIS PRICE STK#1752 VIN#E9258974 1 AT THIS PRICE STK#1851 VIN#E7212658 1 AT THIS PRICE STK#1652 VIN#EF166947 1 AT THIS PRICE STK#1805 VIN#EZ122035 1 AT THIS PRICE STK#1564 VIN#EG137569 1 AT THIS PRICE STK#1799 VIN#EG422484 Allpricesplusgovernmentfeesandtaxes,anyfinancecharge,anydealerdocument,preparationchargeandanyemissioncharge.SubjecttoPriorsales&creditapproval.Rebatessubjecttochange.Somevehicleimagesinthisadareforillustrationpurposesonly and may vary from actual vehicle. *On Select Units, see dealer for details. See dealer for complete warranty deals. **Must own 1999 or newer GM truck. ***Must trade 1999 or newer vehicle.Ad expires 6/27/14. Redding Corning Exit Willows CORNING CHEVY- BUICK CORNING FORD 1 Block 1-5 Solano St. Short Drive N SALES:MON-FRI:8AM-7PM•SAT:9AM-6PM SUN: 10AM-5PM SERVICE: MON-FRI: 7:30AM-5:30PM FarmBureauAgriculturalMember $ 500 00 Additional Rebate CHEVY CORNING DEAL IN CORNING AND SAVE! Se Habla Español pregunta por Omar Gutierrez 2087SolanoStreet•CORNING 1-800-649-7253 or 530-824-5171 OVER 200 USED @ CORNINGCHEVY.COM CORNING CHEVROLET-BUICK BENNY BROWN'S WWW.CORNINGCHEVY.COM1-800-649-7253 CORNING MSRP.................................$31,265 CORNING DISCOUNT........ -$1,288 SALE PRICE...................... $29,977 REBATE ..............................-$1,000 BONUS CASH.....................-$1,000 MSRP $31 $31 $31 $31,26 ,265 2014 CHEVY CAMARO LT WAS $31,265 WAS $31,265 $27,977 SAVE $3,288 MSRP ................................. $25,750 CORNING DISCOUNT........ -$1,273 SALE PRICE...................... $24,477 REBATE ..............................-$1,000 BONUS CASH........................-$500 $25 $25 2014 CHEVY EQUINOX Q WAS $25,750 WAS $25,750 $22,977 SAVE $2,773 N E W MSRP .................................. $37,570 CORNING DISCOUNT........ -$2,526 SALE PRICE...................... $35,044 REBATE ..............................-$2,500 SPORT REBATE.................-$1,000 BONUS CASH........................-$500 FARM BUREAU CREDIT.......-$500 $37 2014 CHEVY 1500 CREW LT WAS $37,570 WAS $37,570 $30,544 SAVE $7,026 MANAGER'S SPECIAL PRICE N E W MSRP ................................. $55,380 C/C DISCOUNT................... -$3,921 SALE PRICE................. $51,459.80 REBATE .................................-$500 BONUS CASH........................-$500 FARM BUREAU CREDIT.......-$500 MSR MSRP $55 $55,38 ,380 2014 CHEVY 1500 CREW 4X4 HIGH COUNTRY WAS $55,380 WAS $55,380 $49,959 SAVE $5,421 N E W 8 IN STOCK! 2014 CHEVY 2500 HD 4X4 LT DURAMAX D 4X4 LT DURAMAX WAS $53,325 WAS $53,325 $42,727 2014 CHEVY 2500 HD MSRP ................................. $53,325 C/C DISCOUNT................... -$2,848 SALE PRICE...................... $50,477 REBATE ..............................-$4,000 DURAMAX REBATE...........-$1,500 FARM BUREAU MEMBER ....-$500 TRADE-IN*............................. -$750 CONQUEST B/CASH........... -$1000 SAVE $10,598 *MUSTOWN1999ORNEWERNONGM MSRP ..................................$19,280 SALE PRICE.......................$18,990 REBATE ..............................-$1,000 BONUS CASH........................ -$250 CONQUEST CASH*...............-$500 $1 $1 2014 CHEVY CRUZE LS N E W SAVE $2,240 Y CRUZE LS Y WAS $19,280 WAS $19,280 $17,240 *MUST OWN NON GM 99 OR NEWER CLEARANCE Sundown YOU HAVE A BETTER CHOICE IN CORNING BEST PRICES BEST PEOPLE BEST SERVICE N E W N E W $32,777 2008 CADILLAC ESCALADE Moon Roof, 22" Tires/Wheels Stk#C6414 Vin#8R227147 $14,977 2002 MERCEDES BENZ SLK32 Low Miles Stk#C6362 Vin#2F254417 $25,877 2013 CHEVY 1500 EXT LT Factory Warranty, Prior Rental Stk#c6393 Vin#DZ210040 $17,977 2013 DODGE CHARGER SE Prior Rental Stk#c6263 Vin#DH542247 2005 BMW X3 3.0I STK#C6404 VIN#5WD11888 $43,977 2005 DODGE VIPER Must See, 53,000 Miles Stk#C6417 Vin#5v500656 $36,677 2013 CHEVY TAHOE 4X4 LT Leather, Factory Warranty, Prior Rental Stk#C6337 Vin#DR320223 $20,977 2012 NISSAN MURANO 2WD Prior Rental Stk#c6151 Vin#CW117177 $15,977 2000 CHEVY CORVETTE Moon Roof, Nav, Dvd Stk#c6210 Vin#y5129783 $28,877 2007 GMC YUKON 4X4 Moon Roof, Nav, Dvd Stk#C6355 Vin#7j124592 SOLD | NEWS | REDBLUFFDAILYNEWS.COM FRIDAY, JUNE 27, 2014 6 C