Butte County California Stops Wedding Ceremonies For Good Reasons

So who's going to pay

to sign up and train all those one time officiants?  I would think that would take up as much time as just going ahead and doing the service...just saying.

Also, see my recent post in the ongoing Kern County thread.  Northern Californian conservative counties of Shasta and Tehama will be open for wedding business for everyone.

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by: Karen in Kalifornia @ Mon Jun 09, 2008 at 12:24:18 PM CDT

Interesting

Well seeing as they are willing to issue the marriage licenses, I'm not inclined to believe that the reasons are homophobic either.

"I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it." -- Thomas Jefferson

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by: Daimeon @ Mon Jun 09, 2008 at 14:50:30 PM CDT

They are REQUIRED

to issue licenses (even Kern County is doing so), it's the civil ceremony that Butte  County and Kern County will not be officiating for any couples.

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by: Karen in Kalifornia @ Mon Jun 09, 2008 at 15:16:26 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Kern vs Butte Counties

You know Karen, it is real easy to believe that Candace Grubbs is only stopping ceremonies for homophobic reasons ... just like the Clerk in Kern County.  You read the comments made by the Clerk in Kern County, the evasive twaddle, and you just know she is a homophobe.

But I spent a good 15+ minutes on the phone with Ms. Grubbs this morning.  I probed this way and that.  She sure had all the correct answers of a good business woman and a non-homophobe.  I did not pick up ANY bias at all in her decision to stop the ceremonies ... none at all.  And I was looking for it.

She did not know me from Adam.  She knew I was not a reporter and did live in the county.  That is all she knew about me.  But we had a most pleasant time on the phone ... well I was migraining and not speaking very clearly so I had the sympathy thing going for me.  But I really and truly did not pick up any bias.

And at Chico Pride Fest on Saturday, there were fliers around from Wedding Planners ready to provide you with a male or female officiant for your ceremony.  There is a private sector in Butte County to provide wedding ceremonies.

And the "deputy for a day" for wedding ceremonies is "must" for the Clerk's office ... she has to provide that service.

No, I think she made a business decision to limit tasks for her limited staff.  In her 2007-2008 budget request, (I looked it up) she asked for two more full time positions.  Neither was granted, though she got some a little help during the primary.  She is now keeping two positions unfilled to help with her budget woes.  This was a business decision.  

The fight for full LGBT Equality is NOT over.  Be strong and be ready to really fight!  And read my blog in your spare time! http://ravenhurst-ravenhurst.b...

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by: Dagon @ Mon Jun 09, 2008 at 19:00:13 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Dagon I misread Daimeon's comment

Misplaced a 'not' in my mind.  Your post was very clear about your interaction with Grubbs which you had to recap because of my misread.  I appreciate the time you took to interact with her and to share your impressons.  

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by: Karen in Kalifornia @ Mon Jun 09, 2008 at 19:32:44 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

...All I can say is we'll see.

They still say on their website that they perform weddings... or I suppose they could have fired the IT guy! Also the budget crunch discussion has been going on for months not just since June 3.  Here is announcement to call for a Civil Wedding. No I did not try the phone #.

Civil Wedding Ceremonies

Civil wedding ceremonies are available in our office. Ceremonies are by appointment only. The fee is $37.00. Appointments must be scheduled at least 24 hours in advance. You may schedule an appointment by calling (530) 538-7691.

And wedding applications are for boy teddybears and girl teddybears only and still say groom, father of the groom, mother of the groom. bride, father of the bride, mother of the bride etc. I kid you not here is website.

clerk-recorder.buttecounty.net/clerk/pdf/marriage_license_application.pdf

 PS There is also a 'confidential' one for those who are 'already living together' and presumbably pregers or some such. This one has chickies.  ?Reason? 

clerk-recorder.buttecounty.net/clerk/pdf/confidential_marriage_license_application.pdf 

 I truly do hope all goes well in OUR county.  It certainly sounds like we have a better chance of it here than in Kern.   

At least Candy's office is forewarned she is being watched. Her little 'announcement' was on the FRONT PAGE of the local newspaper today. I think egged on by a tickle I sent to the newspaper editor yesterday. As I felt it was necessary for county residents to be forewarned as Dagon said there were actually rumors going around that she would not be issuing marriage licenses!

Good luck, and good Love to ALL who plan to marry beginning next week.

It's the Hammer of JUSTICE,
It's the Bell of FREEDOM,
It's the Song about LOVE between,
my Brothers and my Sisters
...All over this Land.

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by: Orion45 @ Tue Jun 10, 2008 at 19:33:10 PM CDT

Hey that's nothing..

As of today, the California Department of Public Health website still lists being hetero as a requirement to receive a marriage license.  I've been monitoring the page.
http://www.cdph.ca.gov/certlic...

Only an unmarried male and an unmarried female may marry in California.

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by: Karen in Kalifornia @ Wed Jun 11, 2008 at 12:37:48 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Cost excuse specious...., as per SF Chronicle.

The San Francisco Chronicle also ran a piece about this today. Guess what we are one of only two HOMOBIGOT counties in the state. What an honor. Neither Barnett nor Grubb would return calls from the Chronicle.

Here is link:

www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/06/10/MN2V1172KL.DTL 

Steve Weir, President of the County Clerks Association says that all Clerks are actually required to collect enough fees to cover ALL THEIR COSTS. So there ARE NO COSTS to her budget or the county or the taxpayers.

 

 

Steve Weir, Contra Costa County's clerk and president of the California Association of Clerks and Elected Officials, noted that the state allows counties to set their own fees for marriage ceremonies so they can recover the costs associated with performing the duty.
"It's a nice service that we provide to the public and it's not costing me anything. In this day and age with the budget situation, how can you go wrong providing a public service that helps with your overhead? It's a no-brainer," Weir said. "Other folks might say you can go to another county, but that's not the point. I'm not going to say you can register to vote in Alameda County because we're not in the same political party."

In Kern after the minister said she would be glad to do any and all marriage up to the November 4 vote, she was told by the POLICE that they would not allow her on the premises.... eg of her own county building.

"Bakersfield (the Kern County seat) is not a very safe place to be out," added Rev. Byrd Tetzlaff of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Kern County. "We are not expecting that many couples, maybe 10 or 12."
After hearing of the decision, Tetzlaff announced she would perform free marriages to same-sex couples until Nov. 4, when voters will weigh in on a constitutional amendment to ban same sex marriage.
Next Tuesday she plans on offering her services to all couples getting licenses at the county building. But she said she and other gay marriage supporters have been told that the police will not allow them to conduct the ceremonies there.
"We are looking at places nearby where we can be, and there are a number of us that are going to be supporting the couples as they go in to get their licenses," she said.

I sure hope someone in BUTTE County is going to do the same thing.

PS Copy of the SF Article forwarded to the editor of our local paper.


It's the Hammer of JUSTICE,
It's the Bell of FREEDOM,
It's the Song about LOVE between,
my Brothers and my Sisters
...All over this Land.

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by: Orion45 @ Tue Jun 10, 2008 at 23:20:33 PM CDT