2 Jackson legislators back gay marriage, civil unions

Two Republican lawmakers are supporting proposals to allow either gay marriage or same-sex civil unions in Wyoming. Reps. Keith Gingery and Ruth Ann Petroff of Jackson are supporting the proposals from Democratic Rep. Cathy Connolly of Laramie....

Billings Gazette • Jan 16, 2013

Montana House refuses to blast gay sex ban bill out of committee

The House blocked an attempt Tuesday to blast a stalled bill out of committee so representatives could debate whether to repeal the state law declaring gay sex to be illegal. The leading backer of the bill said the Montana Supreme Court, in a unanimous 1997 decision, struck down the law banning gay sex as unconstitutional, but it remains on the state law books. A leading opponent said the court ...

Billings Gazette • Mar 31, 2011

Montana Senate votes to strike obsolete law on gay sex

The Montana Senate voted Wednesday to remove an obsolete state law that criminalized gay sex -- a sea change moment for Senate Republicans who bucked their party's platform on the issue. The Montana Supreme Court struck down the law in 1997, and Senate Bill 276 carried by Sen. Tom Facey would remove it from state code. The Missoula Democrat said the measure would provide equal protection under th...

Billings Gazette • Feb 25, 2011

Wyoming criticizes Prop 8 ruling

Wyoming and nine other states signed onto a legal brief Friday claiming a federal court "exceeded its judicial authority" when it ruled that the U.S. Constitution requires legal marriage to include same-sex couples. In the amicus brief, which was set to be filed late Friday afternoon with the 9th U.S. Court of Appeals, the states criticized a California federal judge's ruling last month that Cali...

Billings Gazette • Sep 26, 2010