US: Idaho has spent over $70,000 defending ban on same-sex marriage
Idaho’s attempts to defend its same-sex marriage ban have cost taxpayers over $70,000 so far.
Figures released to the Spokesman-Review under the Idaho Public Records La showed the spiralling cost of the state’s legal battle to maintain the ban.
Judge Candy Dale struck down the state’s constitutional marriage ban in June, but the state’s Republican governor Butch Otter appealed the ruling and has continued to fight it.
The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals heard the state’s appeal this week, but even if it upholds the ruling again, Otter is likely to take the case even further, petitioning the Supreme Court.
Otter’s office reported spending $68,899 of taxpayer funds on the legal battle so far – including $66,920 for outside counsel – while the office of Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden spent $2,569 – leading to a total of $71,477 so far.
The figures do not include salary costs for state employees, and do not factor in the amount of time spent on the case, meaning that the real cost of the case to the state could be far higher.
Despite the cost, Idaho is yet to have a single court uphold its right to ban same-sex marriage.
