MI Gov: Marriage Yes, Benefits No

Michigan Governor Rick Snyder announced Wednesday that the same-sex couples who had obtained marriage licenses on March 22 are considered legally married. However, he also made it clear that the couples would not receive the legal benefits of marriage since the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a temporary stay on U.S. District Judge Bernard Friedman's ruling striking down the state's same-sex marriage ban. Snyder issued a statement saying, “the couples with certificates of marriage from Michigan courthouses last Saturday were legally married and the marriage was valid when entered into. Because the stay brings Michigan law on this issue back into effect, the rights tied to these marriages are suspended until the stay is lifted or Judge Friedman’s decision is upheld on appeal."