Donna Carpenter (left) and Chief Deputy Janet Collins (right) resigned over marriage equality. Photo: RooseveltCounty.com
NEW MEXICO, NM—Two officials, a county clerk and her chief deputy, responsible for issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples resigned their positions this morning, the day after New Mexico’s Supreme Court ordered all 33 county clerks to begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
Roosevelt County (Portales) County Manager, Charlene Webb, has confirmed to ProgressNowNM that Roosevelt County Clerk Donna Carpenter and her chief deputy, Janet Collins, tendered their resignations this morning. Sources confirmed that Carpenter objected to issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. She was not one of eight clerks who issued licenses to couples earlier this year. [pullquote]Sources confirmed that [Donna] Carpenter objected to issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. She was not one of eight clerks who issued licenses to couples earlier this year.[/pullquote]
“We respect that these women made a tough decision,” says Pat Davis of ProgressNowNM, the state’s largest progressive advocacy organization supporting the campaign for marriage. “In the end, their decision to resign is honorable if they feel that they are unable to execute their duties under the law. All of our county clerks deserve credit for coming together to ask for a definitive decision on this issue of equality and we look forward to every clerk in the state offering licenses to every loving couple in their county.”
After months of organizing and legal dispute, New Mexico’s Supreme Court issued an order yesterday requiring all county clerks to create a uniform marriage license for all couples and to begin issuing those licenses.
The county commission will appoint a new clerk.
[From a News Release]
