D. Bruce Hanes is an American elected official, serving as the Register of Wills in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Hanes was elected to his current office in 2007 and was re-elected in 2011, 2015, and 2019.[1]
Issuance of Same-sex Marriage Licenses
editOn July 23, 2013, Hanes announced[2] that his office would issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. On September 12, 2013, Judge Dan Pellegrini issued an order[3] to cease the issuance of marriage licenses to same-sex couples in Pennsylvania.
Because of his public support of same-sex marriage, Hanes was removed from his volunteer position at Little Flower Catholic High School for Girls, effective September 17, 2013.[4]
In late May 2014, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania dropped its case against Hanes, as the law Hanes was accused of having violated was deemed unconstitutional. A federal district court essentially vindicated Hanes's stance that the state law discriminating against same-sex couples was unconstitutional.[5] On May 28, 2014, Montgomery County resumed issuing marriage licences to same-sex couples.[6]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Who is D. Bruce Hanes". 2013-08-06. Retrieved 2013-09-13.
- ^ Parks, Jessica (July 23, 2013). "Montgomery County will issue same-sex marriage licenses". Pittsburgh Post Gazette. Retrieved July 24, 2013.
- ^ "Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Health v. D. Bruce Hanes, in his official capacity as the Clerk of the Orphans' Court of Montgomery County" (PDF). 2013-09-13. Retrieved 2013-09-13.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Gambino, Matthew (September 18, 2013). "Official who issued same-sex marriage licenses removed as volunteer at Catholic school". Catholic Philly. Retrieved September 18, 2013.
- ^ "Montco issues first same-sex marriage licenses after court ban lifted". Retrieved 28 May 2014.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Finally, Montco to issue same-sex marriage licenses". Retrieved 28 May 2014.