By Removing Clerk’s Name From License, Does Kim Davis Finally Win?

All along, removing the clerk’s name from marriage license was what Rowan County, Kentucky, Clerk Kim Davis requested.

Thanks to Kentucky’s governor-elect Matt Bevin, Davis may have finally gotten her wish. Less than 100 hours after defeating Democratic contender Jack Conway, Bevin signaled he would do what the previous governor would not by removing the clerk’s name from the process, the New York Times reported.

At a press conference Bevin had in the capitol Friday, he attacked his predecessor’s administration and promised swift action by removing the county official’s name from the documents.

“One thing I will take care of right away is we will remove the names of the county clerks from the marriage forms… The idea that cannot be done is baloney. We will do that by executive order. We will do that right out of the gate.”

By removing the clerk’s name from the licensing process, the Blaze suggested the action is a win for Kim Davis. According to the article, Bevin said he initially proposed removing the clerk’s name from the license weeks before Kim Davis was jailed for failing to comply and issue marriage licenses.

“Kim Davis is sitting in a jail cell, when there is a simple solution that would respect the rights of every Kentuckian. I first put this solution forward many weeks ago.”

The issue – and Bevin’s support of Kim – may have ultimately helped the newly-elected governor win his election. For her part, Kim Davis immediately expressed her approval of Matt Bevin.

“I congratulate Matt Bevin on his win. I am ecstatic. He is such a genuine and caring person. I will be forever thankful that he came to visit me while I was in jail. At a clerks’ meeting he hugged me and said he was praying for me.”

Kim Davis and the problems with issuing marriage licenses first came to light at the end of the summer. In Kentucky, the county clerk’s name is required to be on the document, which Davis refused to sign for same-sex marriage licenses after the Supreme Court ruling in June knocked down barriers for same-sex couples. The 47-year-old Rowan County woman cited her religious belief as the reason for the objection.

In an attempt to circumvent the new law, Kim banned her staff from issuing any licenses. At the time, she said she would resume issuing licenses by removing her name from the document. The move was not enough, and Davis was sent to jail for contempt of court. While Davis was not the only clerk who had objections to the new law, her defiance became the face of the issue.

During that time, Bevin and Republican presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee visited Kim while she was incarcerated, providing both spiritual and legal guidance during their visit. She returned to her office after being locked up for five days, the Huffington Post reported.

Out-going Governor Steve Beshear did not comply with requests made by Kim Davis, as he said the authority of removing name requirements from the document fell under the state legislature’s control. The Attorney General and Democratic governor nominee Jack Conway also fell out of favor with some constituents with his insistence that Kim does as the courts ordered.

By removing the clerk’s name from the government documents, Davis may finally disappear into the history books. Talk of the next Kim Davis may resume now that Kim may have a resolution to her long-running issue.

What do you think of Matt Bevin’s promise to grant a request by Kim Davis in removing the clerk’s name from the marriage license documents? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below.

[Photo by Ty Wright/Getty Images]