Arkansas officials said Wednesday that
they would appeal a judge's ruling ordering officials to record the
names of both spouses in a same-sex marriage on the birth
certificates of their children.
The Arkansas Department of Health said
that it would comply with the order and issue amended birth
certificates for the children of the three couples who brought the
complaint.
According to the AP, one of the
plaintiff couples was issued an amended certificate on Wednesday.
The Arkansas Department of Health's
Vital Statistics Bureau cited long-established regulations in
refusing to list both parents in a same-sex marriage on their
children's birth certificates.
Circuit Judge Tim Fox's Tuesday ruling
clears the way for other similarly situated gay couples to receive
amended birth certificates, attorneys for the plaintiffs said.
Judd Deere, communications director for
Attorney General Leslie Rutledge, said in a statement that the state
would appeal the ruling.
“Attorney General Rutledge has
advised the Department of Health to follow Judge Fox's order with
regard to amending the birth certificates of the three minors in this
case,” Deere said. “However, to avoid confusion and uncertainty
created by other parts of the order, the Attorney General will ask
the Arkansas Supreme Court to stay the decision and will appeal.”