Florida’s clerks ramp up for first day of same-sex marriage

[brooklynite]

Source: Tampa Tribune

TAMPA — Circuit court clerk offices across Florida ramped up their record-keeping routine Monday expecting gay couples to take immediate advantage of court rulings that open the door for them to marry starting today.

Crowds or not, the Tampa area offices are ready to crank out extra marriage licenses and, in most cases, to conduct civil ceremonies.

If there is a big crowd in Tampa, Hillsborough County Clerk of the Circuit Court Pat Frank has arranged for a group wedding ceremony at noon in nearby Joe Chillura Courthouse Square Park downtown. Otherwise, she’ll just do the ceremony in Room 140 at the courthouse on Pierce Street.

A circuit judge in Miami on Monday lifted the ban there, so same-sex couples in Miami-Dade County were able to tie the marriage knot Monday. But across the state, the same-sex marriage ban ended at midnight and some clerks opened their marriage license counters at 12:01 a.m. today.

Read more: http://tbo.com/news/crime/floridas-clerks-ramp-up-for-first-day-of-same-sex-marriage-20150105/?page=1

---

Couples line up outside the Hillsborough County Clerk of Courts office on Pierce Street to take advantage of court rulings that open the door for them to marry starting today.

[RKP5637]

1. K&R! n/t

[matt819]

2. Are those getting married restricted to apply for licenses in their home county?

The idea that one needs a marriage "license" is ridiculous, but that's another matter.

Here's my question. Do people need to apply for licenses in their home counties? If not, then I think it's great that they can go to more liberal counties - or to counties where the clerks simply obey the law - and fill those counties' coffers. Fuck those counties where the theocrats rule. Let them suffer the loss of their jobs, their counties' revenues, and the humiliation for attempting the resurrect the plantation mentality.

[csziggy]

4. No, the licenses are good anywhere in the state

And there are a lot of different officials that can perform the ceremony. A simple notary public can, among others.

The major difficulty is that unless the applicants complete a premarital counseling course there is a three day waiting period so traveling outside their home county to get the license could be a hassle. Completing the course also saves them about 1/3 the cost of the license.

I hope the clerks that made their fundamentalist religious choice to not perform ceremonies look at the lines of people in other counties and regret the money they will not be collecting. Most of the counties in the Florida Panhandle are tiny and very poor. They could use every dime they can collect -the same way they tend to use speed traps to increase their revenue from tickets.

[Sparhawk60]

3. Great Day to go to Work

I wish I worked in that office, I would be so pumped up just to be a part of this historic, and special day.

[shenmue]

5. I live in Pasco County

On my way home from work, I drove past the government complex. It was packed! Cars out the wazoo. I think that's a good sign.