Governor's office stands firm when Kim Davis supporters show up at capitol

FRANKFORT, KY (WAVE) - A group of Rowan County leaders who support County Clerk Kim Davis wsent to Frankfort on Tuesday, hoping to speak with Gov. Steve Beshear about the controversy surrounding same-sex marriage that has put their community in the national spotlight.

The governor was not in attendance, however, when the Family Foundation of Kentucky and Rev. Randy Smith arrived.

[PREVIOUS STORY: Vatican upends Davis affair with new of audience with gays]

The governor's Communications Director Terry Sebastian provided the following statement:

"The Governor's chief of staff, Larry Bond, met with a group of ministers today. The Governor's office is always happy to meet with community leaders and citizens and hear their ideas. Mr. Bond reminded the group, however, that the legislature has placed the authority to issue marriage licenses on county clerks by statute, and the Governor has no legal authority to relieve them of their statutory duty by executive order. The General Assembly will convene in just 12 weeks and can make any statutory changes it deems necessary at that time. The Governor sees no need to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars of taxpayers' money calling a special session of the General Assembly when 117 of 120 county clerks are doing their jobs."

In August, Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis filed a lawsuit against Beshear, accusing him of violating her religious freedom in forcing her to issue marriage licenses to all couples, gay or straight. According to NBC News, the governor said that all of Davis' legal claims demonstrate the absurdity of her position.

Smith said 57 county clerks have ent letters asking for a special session involving marriage licenses. The governor's office, however, said only 17 clerks have sent in letters and provided WLEX-TV, the NBC affiliate in Lexington with the following list:

• Anderson County - Jason Denny
• Boone County - Kenny Brown
• Carter County - Mike Johnston
• Casey County - Casey Davis
• Clinton County - Shelia Braswell Booher
• Cumberland County - Kim King
• Green County - Billy Joe Lowe
• Knott County - Kennith Gayheart
• Laurel County - Dean Johnson
• Lawrence County - Chris Jobe
• Leslie County - James Lewis
• Letcher County - Winston Meade
• Martin County - Susie Skyles
• Monroe County - Teresa McMillin Sheffield
• Rowan County - Kim Davis
• Wayne County - Josephine Gregory
• Whitley County - Kay Schwartz

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