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Montco Officials Consider Next Move In Effort To Issue Same-Sex Marriage Licenses

By Brad Segall

NORRISTOWN, Pa. (CBS) -- Officials in Montgomery County will now decide whether to appeal a Commonwealth Court judge's order that the county stop issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

Judge Dan Pellegrini says it's up to the courts to decide whether laws are constitutional, not local government officials.  Today he ordered the county to stop issuing the licenses (see related story), which the county has already done.

Register of wills D. Bruce Hanes says he is disappointed by the court's decision but has no regrets about what he has done, saying he's coming down on the right side of history.

"In my opinion and in the opinion of two or three or four people that I consider pretty good legal minds -- the solicitor's office and also my office -- I did the right thing," Hanes said today.

Over the next several days Hanes and  county solicitor Ray McGarry plan to review the decision and decide whether to appeal to the state Supreme Court.

In the meantime, McGarry doesn't believe the ruling invalidates the 174 licenses that have been issued since July.

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