A same-sex couple from Los Alamos County is asking a state district court to require local officials to issue them a marriage license, a move that expands the legal battle over gay marriage in New Mexico.
The lawsuit was filed late Wednesday in Santa Fe by lawyers for Janet Newton and Maria Thibodeau.
Lawsuits have led to judges ordering clerks in Bernalillo, Santa Fe and Taos counties to issue marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples. Clerks in three other counties are granting licenses without court orders.
The latest case offers another possible route for moving the marriage equality question to the state Supreme Court, which could make a ruling that would apply statewide.
County clerks statewide are planning a legal action in hopes of getting a Supreme Court decision.
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