TYLER (KYTX) – The Texas Department of State Health Services updated the form used for marriage licenses in the state. It came after many county clerks in East Texas decided not to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples because the paperwork had not yet been updated.
One Tyler couple joined others in going to federal court to force the clerks to issue licenses just as some clerks in Dallas, Tarrant and Travis Counties, among others, did.
Nothing will stop truth. Nothing will stop justice. Nothing is going to stop things the way they need to be under the law," said Karen Wilkerson, who sought to marry her partner, Jolie Smith earlier Friday.
UT Tyler Political Science Professor Eric Lopez said now that the Supreme Court has spoken, the issue of same sex marriage is pretty settled.
"We have a commitment because of the 1st Amendment, there are people who religiously object to giving marriage licenses," Lopez said. "Now how states craft law to ensure that people who don't believe in same sex marriage don't have to do something they believe violates their religious freedoms, that's going to be an interesting debate."
The forms the The Texas Department of State Health Services (TDSHS) updated are the Application for Marriage License (VS-180 Rev 6/2015) form and the Declaration and Registration of Informal Marriage (VS-180.1 Rev. 6/2015) form.
Both forms are available on the TDSHS website (http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/vs/field/Local-Registrar-and-County-Clerk-Forms/) and are effective immediately.
