News Release
For Immediate Release: September 12, 2013
Contact: Diane Gramley 1.814.271.9078 or 1.814.437.5355
Judge Makes Right Decision in Lawless Montgomery County Register of Wills Case
(Harrisburg) — Today Judge Dan Pellegrini handed down his decision demanding Montgomery County Register of Wills D. Bruce Hanes stop handing out marriage licenses to same-sex couples. The American Family Association of Pennsylvania (AFA of PA), a statewide advocate for one man one woman marriage, applauds Judge Pellegrini’s decision.
“The rule of law won in Pennsylvania courts today. The judge was very clear that Hanes nor any other elected official in Pennsylvania has the right to ignore our Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and simply take it upon themselves to declare it unconstitutional and issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. The law is very clear, marriage in Pennsylvania is only between one man and one woman,” Diane Gramley, president of the AFA of PA stated upon hearing the decision.
Gramley also noted that marriage is not safe in Pennsylvania as the ACLU lawsuit is still pending. However lawlessness in Pennsylvania on the issue of marriage has ended with Judge Pellegrini’s decision today.
“The ACLU’s lawsuit and the arrogance of elected officials such as Attorney General Kathleen Kane and Montgomery County Register of Wills Bruce Hanes points to the need for a strong marriage protection amendment. Our DOMA is not enough; we need to give the voters of Pennsylvania the opportunity to vote on a marriage protection amendment — a strong MPA such as HB 1349 which bans civil unions and places the definition of marriage as only between one man and one woman in our constitution is what we need,” further commented Gramley.
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