The state has issued new guidelines for filing and changing vital records to recognize same-sex marriage status, as ordered by a federal judge in San Antonio
In a court advisory filed late Wednesday, the Texas Attorney General’s Office and the Texas Department of State Health Services said they believe the new guidelines comply with the June 26 Supreme Court ruling that found gay marriage legal in all 50 states and a July 7 order by U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia that prohibits state agencies from enforcing Texas laws that bar same-sex marriage.
Officials also agreed to issue new birth certificates for the two sons of Leigh and Robin Jorgesen of Austin, who helped convince Garcia, of San Antonio, to order the state to act on vital records involving same-sex married couples.
[…]
The state’s advisory also tells the judge that “the processing of software modifications by the third-party vendor that hosts the platform for vital records will take additional time, which will impact the issuance of birth certificates.”
“Until that change is made, those requesting a birth certificate listing parents of the same sex may choose either to (1) obtain the standard birth certificate listing ‘mother’ and ‘father’ as well as an amendment to the birth certificate once the software modification is complete; or (2) obtain an original birth certificate allowing for the parents to be identified as ‘mother,’’father’ or ‘parent’ once the software modification is complete.”
See here for the background. Nothing like a little contempt of court order to focus the mind and make clear what one’s priorities are. It’s almost as if the state had the ability to have gotten this done in a timely fashion without needing to be threatened. I’m sure that couldn’t possibly be the case, though. Trail Blazers has more.