$43,000 taxpayer cost; county clerk refuses gay marriage licences - US

A county clerk who's job it is to issue marriage licences went to court in Dallas citing religion as the reason why she wasn't going to issue gay marriage licences. She even put it on the county website (pictured).

She lost. The taxpayers now have to cover the cost of her legal bills. Why do these people think that religion excuses them from doing their job?

Hmmmm...... What was I saying yesterday about the cost to taxpayers of a plebiscite in Australia over Abbott refusing to allow gay marriage?.......

It has been a month since Joe Stapleton and Jim Cato finally got the marriage license Hood County Clerk Katie Lang denied them because of her religious beliefs. It only took a federal lawsuit to get it.

Today that suit was settled, and according to the attorneys representing Stapleton and Cato, Lang’s refusal to issue the license ended up costing Hood County $43,872.10 in attorney’s fees. They will now move to dismiss the suit.

“It is a shame that Hood County Clerk Katie Lang refused to follow the rule of law, causing our clients to go through the difficulties of hiring lawyers and filing a federal lawsuit to obtain the marriage license to which they are constitutionally entitled,” says attorney Pat O’Connell, one of Stapleton and Cato’s attorneys. “And it is sad that the taxpayers of Hood County have to pay the price for their elected official’s misconduct.” more