When Your Community Fights Gay Rights Who Pays for it? How Much?
I don’t hear much about communities being asked if they want to spend from half a million dollars to a bunch of millions for court expenditures. The lawyers are more than willing to take these cases because it can make them rich without the pressures they usually have to win the case since most of these cases are lost.
“WE tried Mr. Attorney general but you know nobody is winning this, we made 25 affidavits ($2K each) interrogated the witnesses ($ a bunch)and submitted all the other pertinent information. I am sorry we were not even able to go before a judge. They shot us down on the briefs alone. We can resubmit some more briefs if you like. We say never give up!”
The community of Idaho where the Gov. Butch Otter Approved the expenditures of half a million dollars and lost. What Program would Mr. Otter would now have to cut to make up half a $456.7 thousand which was not put in any budget since they did not know how much or if they would spend it.
From left, Senate Pro Tem Brent Hill, House Speaker Scott Bedke, Attorney General Lawrence Wasden and Gov. Butch Otter, members of the state Constitutional Defense Council, prior to approving payment of $456,000 in legal costs incurred defending the state’s gay marriage ban. The brow story appeared on idahostatesman.com
With no discussion but partial dissent, the four-man panel that oversees disbursements from Idaho’s state’s rights protection fund today approved $456,663 in fees and court costs related to the state’s ongoing litigation over gay marriage.
The Constitutional Defense Council, comprising Gov. Butch Otter, Attorney General Lawrence Wasden, House Speaker Scott Bedke, R-Oakley, and Senate Pro Tem Brent Hill, R-Rexburg, voted unanimously to pay the $401,663 attorneys fee for plaintiffs who successfully challenged the state’s gay marriage ban.
Wasden cast the only no vote on paying the $55,000 bill for outside attorneys who are handling the governor’s appeals in that case and related litigation.
“My view on the use of outside counsel is no secret," Wasden said in a statement. "I’ve maintained a long, consistent and principled position that hiring outside attorneys and paying the high price for that work is unnecessary.”
The fees will be paid from a special fund set up to cover costs arising from challenges to the state constitution.
Bill Dentzer
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