California Attorney General Kamala Harris (D) on Wednesday urged the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to lift the stay on the injunction against Proposition 8 and allow same-sex couples to marry “as quickly as possible.”
“I am calling on the Ninth Circuit today to urge them on the strongest terms that they lift the stay and enforce the permanent injunction that [Justice] Vaughn Walker outlined so marriages can begin in California immediately,” Harris said in a press conference.
In response to a reporter’s question, Harris acknowledged that the appeals court could legally delay lifting the injunction for a waiting period of 25 days, but again urged the court to use its power to lift the stay as soon as possible.
Harris further praised the Supreme Court’s dismissal of the case on the grounds that its parties had no standing, arguing that their ruling sent the message that those who wish to challenge gay marriage “cannot do so simply because they don’t like the notion.”
Earlier in the day, Gov. Jerry Brown (D) issued an order to California county clerks mandating the issue of marriage licenses as soon as the Prop 8 injunction is lifted.
