Former Kentucky Clerk Seeks Supreme Court Review of Same-Sex Marriage Ruling

Former Kentucky county clerk Kim Davis, who was jailed for refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples based on her religious beliefs, is seeking to have the U.S. Supreme Court revisit and potentially overturn its landmark 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges decision that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide. Davis and her legal team argue that the ruling infringes on her First Amendment religious liberty rights and that she should have qualified immunity from paying damages related to lawsuits filed against her. They contend that Obergefell was wrongly decided and liken their case to Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Center, which overturned Roe v. Wade. However, legal experts and advocates for same-sex marriage rights express skepticism that the Supreme Court will overturn the precedent, noting the significant federal protections currently in place. The Court's decision on whether to hear Davis's appeal is anticipated in a private conference, with some conservative justices potentially open to revisiting the ruling. If overturned, the regulation of same-sex marriage could return to individual states, many of which do not currently permit such unions.