Nebraska
Nebraska became the latest state whose marriage law was thrown out as unconstitutional. Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts spoke out yesterday (March 2) against the ruling and said the issue should be left up to Nebraskans to decide and not an “activist judge.”
The case that was ruled on Monday, March 2 has already been appealed to the Eighth Circuit and asked that court for a stay. If a stay isn’t issued, Nebraska becomes a marriage equality state on March 9.
Arkansas, Missouri, South Dakota
The Eighth Circuit is already scheduled to hear appeals from Arkansas, Missouri and South Dakota in May.
Couples involved in the Arkansas case asked U.S. District Judge Kristine Baker to lift the stay on her ruling. The state’s attorney general asked the judge not to lift a stay placed on marriages while the ruling is on appeal. So far, the stay remains in place.
Slovenia
The central European country of Slovenia votes today, March 3, on marriage equality. The country’s constitution guarantees equal rights for all citizens.
In a recent poll, 59 percent of Slovenians supported marriage equality. Should it pass, Slovenia will become the first country in central Europe to allow same-sex couples to marry.
U.N.
Last year, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon issued an order to provide benefits to same-sex partners of UN employees, regardless of where in the world they are working. Now, the Russian government is attempting to intervene, urging the U.N. secretary general to immediately withdraw the order, saying that it “violates the sovereign rights of member states to determine the legal framework of [the] life of their citizens.”
