Wyoming Governor Matt Mead, a
Republican, on Thursday said he does not believe the state should
appeal an upcoming ruling challenging the constitutionality of the
state's ban on gay marriage.
As part of the Tenth Circuit, Wyoming
is affected by a federal appeals court's ruling striking down similar
bans in Utah and Oklahoma. The court's rulings took effect last week
after the Supreme Court refused to hear appeals in the cases.
(Related: Gay
marriage fights move to South Carolina, Wyoming, Arizona, Montana,
Kansas.)
At a hearing on Thursday, the National
Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) and Wyoming Equality asked U.S.
District Judge Scott W. Skavdahl to force Wyoming officials to comply
with the rulings.
Skavdahl said he would issue a ruling
before 5 PM on Monday.
Mead, who is seeking re-election, was
asked about the possibility of an appeal during a televised debate.
“The answer is no, we shouldn't
appeal the ruling,” Mead
answered.