Pennsylvania sues rogue county marrying same-sex couples

Pennsylvania state officials are suing a rogue county that started issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples despite a state-wide ban, CBS Philadelphia affiliate KYW reports.

A lawyer for the Pennsylvania Department of Health walked into Commonwealth Court in Harrisburg Tuesday seeking a court order to stop Montgomery County from issuing marriage licenses.

Joan Nagle, a deputy for register of wills Bruce Hanes, told KYW Newsradio that on the advice of counsel, there would be no comment on the action.

The Health Department, which oversees marriage licenses, said in the lawsuit that Hanes' action would like lead to illegal claims or benefits, according to The Associated Press.

Hanes began issuing licenses to same-sex couples last week, saying that he wanted to come down "on the right side of history and the law."

One of those couples was 45-year-old Alicia Terrizzi and 40-year-old Bloodgood. They got married in the courthouse Wednesday morning, shortly after finding out Montogomery County officials were offering the opportunity.

"We believe in it not only for ourselves and the love that we have, but we think it's really important to show our children that we are a family and we are just like their friends who have moms and dads," said Bloodgood, who has been with her partner for 17 years.

The lawsuit comes the same day Republican Gov. Tom Corbett's office said it would defend the state's marriage law in another suit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union.

Attorney General Katleen Kane, a Democrat, said earlier this month she wouldn't defend the state in the suit because she believes Pennsylvania's 1996 law that defines marriage between only a man and a woman is unconstitutional.