MARRIAGE CASE MOVES CLOSER TO HIGH COURT: From The Oregonian
 
The Oregon Court of Appeals on Thursday agreed to step aside and allow a lawsuit challenging the state's marriage law to go directly to the state Supreme Court.

The move, which still needs Supreme Court approval, would significantly speed up a lawsuit that seeks to force the state to allow same-sex couples to marry.
A spokeswoman for Basic Rights Oregon, which brought the suit, said her group had wanted the Court of Appeals to hear the case.

"We felt that the Court of Appeals would likely rule in our favor," said Rebekah Kassell. But the legal and political picture is far from clear.

A member of the Defense of Marriage Coalition, which opposes extending marriage to same-sex couples, said he wasn't surprised. But Tim Nashif, whose group sponsored a constitutional amendment defining marriage as being between a man and a woman, said he did not want to see the Supreme Court rush and try to rule before the November election. ...
 
The legal and political fight over marriage in Oregon started in March when Multnomah County began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples after determining that state marriage law violated the rights of gays and lesbians.
Gay rights groups and the American Civil Liberties Union sued the state, which had refused to recognize the Multnomah County marriage licenses issued to same-sex couples.

Multnomah County Circuit Judge Frank L. Bearden ruled that state marriage law violated the constitutional rights of gays and lesbians, but said the Legislature should have a chance to fix the problem, possibly by passing a civil unions law.

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