Kentucky's attorney general won't defend his state's anti-gay marriage law — but the state's Democratic governor will

Jamie Rhodes/Getty Images

Kentucky's attorney general won't defend his state's anti-gay marriage law — but the state's Democratic governor will
(Image credit: Jamie Rhodes/Getty Images)

Minutes after Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway announced he would not appeal a federal judge's ruling forcing Kentucky to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states, Gov. Steve Beshear (D) said the state would hire a private lawyer to do just that. Beshear said the state would ask for a stay on the ruling, which is set to take effect later this month, because "without a stay in place, the opportunity for legal chaos is real."

Meanwhile, Conway said he was putting "people over politics," adding that he could not defend the law because "I would be defending discrimination. That I will not do."

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Jon Terbush

Jon Terbush is an associate editor at TheWeek.com covering politics, sports, and other things he finds interesting. He has previously written for Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, and Business Insider.