Per last week’s Supreme Court ruling, same sex couples can receive marriage licenses in Washington Parish.

“About 1 p.m. today, we got the ruling from the Louisiana Clerks Association that we could start issuing marriage licenses,” Washington Parish Clerk of Court Johnny Crain Jr. said on Monday. “No same sex couples have requested a license as of yet, but we did have a phone call Friday right after the Supreme Court ruling. I think he was making random calls throughout the state.”

The Association memo stated:

While the Association believes that implementation of changes relative to marriage licenses should have been done by the parish clerks simultaneously with the Office of Vital Records, deferring implementation times has and will continue to create confusion. The Association therefore suggests parish clerks begin implementation of changes and procedures for the issuing of marriage licenses consistent with last week’s Supreme Court’s opinion. So our attorney says you can issue the license as soon as your office is ready to do so.”

On Friday, the Supreme Court ruled same sex marriage legal in all 50 states.

Crain said his office received six calls on Monday about licenses for same sex couples. In his three years on the job, Crain said there have been no requests for marriage licenses from same sex couples.

Crain said he will do his job whenever the time comes to issue marriage licenses to same sex couples.

“I’m a Christian and I believe in the Bible, but I’m sworn to uphold the Constitution of the United States and the state of Louisiana, and we will do that,” Crain said. “Everybody will be treated the same at the Clerk’s Office.”