Republican Kentucky governor Matt Bevin ordered the state to prepare new marriage licenses that do not include the names of county clerks, in an attempt to protect the religious beliefs of clerk Kim Davis and other local elected officials.  Bevin said he directed the Kentucky department of libraries and archives to issue the revised marriage license forms to all county clerks. The executive order comes after Davis, the Rowan County clerk, spent five days in jail for refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Davis said she could not issue the licenses because they had her name on them.  Related: Kentucky elects businessman as second Republican governor in 40 years  Bevin said he issued the executive order to “ensure that the sincerely held religious beliefs of all Kentuckians are honored”. It was one of five executive orders he issued on Tuesday, the first of his administration, that mostly revised or suspended recent actions by former Democratic governor Steve Beshear.  “Today, I took action to uphold several commitments I made during my campaign so that we can implement real solutions that will help the people of Kentucky,” Bevin said in a news release.  The American Civil Liberties Union issued a statement expressing concern that Bevin’s order has “added to the cloud of concern that hangs over marriage licensing in Kentucky” because state law requires that the county clerk’s name appear on marriage licenses.  “The requirement that the county clerk’s name appear on marriage licenses is prescribed by Kentucky law and is not subject to unilateral change by the governor,” the statement says. “Government officials, from the highest to the lowest, have a duty and responsibility to impartially administer the laws that exist, not the laws as they wish them to be.”  It’s unclear how Bevin’s order will affect a federal lawsuit brought by four couples against Davis. One of Davis’s deputy clerks has been issuing altered marriage licenses to eligible couples since September. They do not include Davis’s name or the name of the county.  The ACLU, which represents the four couples, has asked US district judge David Bunning to order Davis to reissue the licenses. Bunning has not made a decision yet.  Related: Mormon elder criticizes Kim Davis in call for moderation on gay marriage  Davis and her supporters had asked Beshear to issue a similar executive order. Beshear had refused, arguing only the state legislature had the authority to change the state law requiring the contents of the marriage license form.
Republican Matt Bevin issues executive order to protect ‘sincerely held religious beliefs’ of officials like Kim Davis after same-sex marriage license controversy