Kentucky On The Hook For Huge Legal Bill In Marriage Equality Fight

Newly-installed (and virulently anti-gay) Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin is now tasked with having to pay the winning lawyers in the state's unsuccessful marriage equality case.

And under federal law, the governor has no choice but to pay them. To ensure “effective access to the judicial process” for “persons with civil rights grievances,” the losing side must pay the winner’s legal fees in an amount the courts decide is reasonable.

In Ohio and Michigan, for example, whose gay marriage bans were struck down with Kentucky’s, the Republican governors in those two states settled with the winning lawyers, for $1.3 million and $1.9 million, respectively.

The winning legal team is seeking $2,091,297. I would look for the amount to be somewhere in the 60-65% range.

I'd love it if someone could tell us how much it cost states to fight marriage equality all the way to the  U. S. Supreme Court.