Area counties prepare for same-sex marriages

No same-sex couples have been issued a marriage license in several area counties, but two women are making plans to be married by a Butler County, Missouri, judge Monday.

"I will have my first one Monday morning. We had to have our software updated," said Debby Lundstrom, Butler County recorder of deeds. "Two women have contacted Judge John Bloodworth about getting married Monday."

But couples in the surrounding counties may not be able to marry so quickly.

Drew Blattner, Cape Girardeau County recorder of deeds, has said his office will wait "until the final outcome before making any policy changes."

Unless that plan changes, same-sex couples will have to wait to obtain marriage licenses until the Supreme Court's ruling officially takes effect, 25 days after the June 26 decision.

Blattner was not available for comment Thursday.

Also unavailable for comment were the Scott and Bollinger County, Missouri, recorders of deeds.

Perry County, Missouri, Recorder Dana Pritchard was unavailable for comment Thursday, but earlier in the week, she declined to comment on whether her office would issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

Although there is no restriction forbidding counties from issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples before the 25-day waiting period, counties across the state and nation have encountered logistical hurdles, suddenly being forced to change wording on official documents and updating computer systems.

Butler County's Lundstrom has prepared a new application for a marriage license for same-sex couples, which has blanks for first person and second person.

"Last week, we were covered up with phone calls," Lundstrom said. "One was from a minister who was requested to marry two men."

She still plans to use the old license forms with a reference to man and woman on the back until all the forms have been used.

Then she will get new ones printed.

"We have had a ton of phone calls, but no one has applied," said Kay Asbell, Stoddard County, Missouri, recorder of deeds. "We will be ready Monday to issue licenses to gay couples."

It was necessary to order new licenses that did not have "man" and "woman" on them.

Dunklin County, Missouri, Recorder of Deeds Susan Luce said she has received "lots of phone calls."

"We are prepared to issue the licenses to gay couples if they come in," Luce said. "No one has applied."

June Watson, Ripley County, Missouri, recorder of deeds, said she has had phone calls.

"Someone came in the first morning after the U.S. Supreme Court ruling, but we were not prepared," Watson said. "Now I tell the callers we are in compliance."

Only two calls have been received by Wayne County, Missouri, Recorder of Deeds Cindy Stout.

"I'm handling it, but no one has applied," Stout said.

In Arkansas, marriage licenses are issued by county clerks.

A deputy clerk in the Clay County, Arkansas, clerk's office said, "We have full intent to comply with the law."

She added a few phone calls -- mostly media -- have been received, but no same-sex couples have applied for a license.

Southeast Missourian reporter Tyler Graef contributed to this story.