Weir said he was told by the Office of Vital Records that clerks would be authorized to hand out marriage licenses on June 14, exactly 30 days after the historic ruling in the California Supreme Court which opened for gay marriage.

The Bakersfield Californian writes:

"They are shooting for the 14th," said Weir, adding that the state planned to give California's 58 counties advice early this week for implementing the historic change so local officials can start planning.

An effort, however, is under way to stay the Supreme Court's decision until voters can decide the issue with an initiative planned for the November ballot. The measure would overrule the justices' decision and amend the state constitution to ban gay marriage.

Justices have until the ruling's effective date to weigh the request, but could give themselves longer to consider it, attorneys have said. Another complicating factor is that the Supreme Court also directed a midlevel appeals court that upheld the state's one man-one woman marriage laws a year ago to issue a new order legalizing same-sex marriage, and it's not clear when the appeals court would comply.

Suanne Buggy, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Public Health, which oversees the vital records office, would not confirm Monday that state officials have settled the matter of when counties can or must start extending marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

Update: Same-sex couples will be able to wed in California beginning June 17, according to a state directive issued Wednesday.

Last update: 01-31-2009 19:47