TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi is asking a federal judge to clarify whether clerks in all counties can issue marriage licenses to gay couples starting next week.
Bondi's office filed the motion with U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle late Monday. Hinkle previously ruled that Florida's same-sex marriage ban is unconstitutional. He stayed his ruling, but the stay is scheduled to expire Jan. 5.
The association that represents county clerks said the ruling only applies in Washington County, the Panhandle county where the legal challenge originated.
Gay-rights groups dispute that interpretation and say the ruling applies to all 67 clerks.
Bondi's filing doesn't offer a clear opinion on who is right. Instead, it says if Hinkle intends for the ruling to apply more widely, he should "provide additional clarification."
