Pueblo County Clerk and Recorder
Gilbert Ortiz on Monday announced he would stop issuing marriage
licenses to gay and lesbian couples.
“I believe that [Colorado Attorney
General John] Suthers is on the wrong side of history and my office
is reluctantly ceasing to issue licenses as of this afternoon,”
Ortiz said in a tweet.
Boulder County Clerk Hillary Hall began
issuing the licenses after the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals in
Denver upheld a lower court's ruling striking down Utah's
constitutional amendment limiting marriage to heterosexual unions.
The Tenth Circuit's jurisdiction
includes Colorado, and Hall cited the ruling in explaining her
actions.
Denver County Clerk Debra Johnson and
Pueblo County Clerk Gilbert Ortiz followed suit after a judge ruled
that Hall can continue issuing the licenses. District Court Judge
Andrew Haman, however, said the validity of the licenses remains in
question.
On Friday, the Colorado Supreme Court
ordered Denver and Adams (which is not issuing such licenses)
counties to stop issuing marriage licenses to gay couples.
Suthers said it was his hope that Ortiz
and Hall would voluntarily comply.
On Monday, he applauded Ortiz's
decision.
“We are gratified that Clerk Ortiz
has recognized that he needs to be on the right side of the law,”
Suthers said. “No matter one's views on the issue of same-sex
marriage, the Supreme Court of Colorado has made clear that until it
has had a chance to rule on the merits, clerks must enforce the
state's laws, which are still in effect.”