Attorneys for a group of gay couples are asking the state's highest court to dismiss a bid to suspend a judge's decision striking down all measures preventing same-sex couples from marrying.
The attorneys requested Friday that the Arkansas Supreme Court to reject a bid by Attorney General Dustin McDaniel and four counties to stay Pulaski County Circuit Judge Chris Piazza's ruling striking down the state's same-sex marriage ban.
Piazza ruled the ban unconstitutional last week, and expanded his ruling to include all state laws preventing gay couples from getting married.
On Friday the state Supreme Court moved up its deadline for the plaintiffs to respond in the case to 2 p.m. that afternoon. The court had initially given attorneys until Monday at noon. It was unclear how quickly justices would act.
More than 450 same-sex couples have been issued marriage licenses since Piazza's ruling last week.
The granting of licenses resumed Thursday in Pulaski and Washington Counties after Judge Piazza's latest ruling. Conway County Clerk Debbie Hartman said Friday her office would begin issuing licenses as well.
Earlier in the week, Hartman said her office would not issue licenses until the state Supreme Court made a ruling. Conway County is one of six counties who were named that lawsuit. Lonoke, Saline and White Counties have said they would wait for action from the high court.
