Otto
March 17, 2004, 2:36pm
1
Congratulations, Benton County !
Oregon has become the ‘Gay Marriage’ state with the announcement Tuesday that a second county is preparing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
Benton County Commissioner Linda Modrell Tuesday announced that the county, about an hour’s drive from Portland, will follow Multnomah County in allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry.
Benton is one of the most liberal counties in the state and home to Oregon State University.
Modrell said the state constitution prohibits discrimination and takes precedence over laws preventing gay marriage.
The county commissioners endorsed the plan by a 2-1 vote. Modrell said licenses will be available in Benton County starting on March 24, at 9 a.m.
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Modrell said the legal opinion from the Attorney General … influenced the decision in Benton County.
“If the attorney general believes it is likely to be deemed unconstitutional, and if the other opinions out there believe the law is likely to be unconstitutional, it is just as unconstitutional today as it will be next week, next month and next year,” Modrell said.
Scott Heiser, district attorney in Benton County, said he will not prosecute county officials for issuing same-sex licenses, the same course of action chosen by Multnomah County District Attorney Michael Schrunk.
And now, the force that will probably ultimately decide the issue in the minds of many, economics:
{B}usinesses in Oregon are rubbing their hands with glee over all the publicity. Hundreds of same-sex couples from across the nation have been pouring into the Portland area to marry, leaving behind hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Gay and lesbian couples are celebrating their nuptials with champagne dinners, plush hotel suites, and planning trips to popular destinations such as Mount Hood, the Willamette Valley’s wine country and the Oregon Coast according to Deborah Wakefield, spokesperson for the Portland Oregon Visitors Association.
“Those are the kind of visitors we want, gay or straight — the ones who don’t care how much things cost,” she said.
And competition for the pink buck is fierce with many companies offering inducements.
The Red Light Clothing Exchange which sells hip second-hand clothing, is giving same-sex couples discounts on evening dresses and tuxedos when they present their Oregon marriage licenses.
Flash a marriage license and gay and lesbian couples get a free cup of coffee at Portland’s Redwing Coffee and Baking. And honeymooners get a 20 percent discount on vintage suites at The Clyde Hotel, in the heart of Portland’s gay neighborhood.
Hey, neat! I didn’t read the paper this morning so I never heard about this. I’m proud to be an Oregonian right now. I wonder how long it will be before Lane County joins the bandwagon. I think my county will take quite a bit longer, but someday…