Facing Deadline Wyoming Legislative Committee Approves Anti-Same Sex Marriage House Bill; Revisions Remove Language Referring to Same Sex Civil Unions And Court Access For Same Sex Couples

The Casper Tribune reports that a Wyoming legislative conference committee struck a last-minute compromise on legislation banning recognition of out-of-state gay marriages. The six-member committee punted on the two most contentious issues surrounding the bill — civil unions and court access for same-sex couples. By a 4-2 vote, the committee narrowed House Bill 74 to only invalidate same sex marriages from other states and countries. The revisions must now be approved by the House, then the Senate. Supporters of the legislation, said it is needed to resolve a conflict in Wyoming law, which defines marriage as a contract “between a male and a female person” but also recognizes any valid marriage performed outside the state. In November, a Wyoming district court judge refused to grant a divorce to a lesbian couple from Lusk which married in Canada; the couple has appealed the case to the Wyoming Supreme Court. Legislators, however, got held up on whether the bill should also invalidate out-of-state same-sex civil unions, and whether same-sex couples should have access to the courts to get divorced or for other disputes. The House’s version of the bill stated that same sex marriages and civil unions were not entitled to any obligations, benefits or protections under Wyoming law; the Senate, on the other hand, added a clause guaranteeing people in a legal out-of-state civil union would have access to Wyoming courts. With the Legislature set to adjourn for the year on Thursday, the conference committee took out all language dealing with civil unions and court access. Conference committee members said the changes brought the bill closer to other states’ Defense of Marriage acts. They also said it was better to have a narrowed bill than no bill at all, and they said it would be up to future legislatures to tackle the issue of civil unions. The bill is likely to face the most opposition in the Senate, which passed House Bill 74 16-14; the House passed its version 32-27.