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A judge ruled Friday against Alaska’s ban on Same-sex Marriages, order ing the state to show why it should be able to regulate who people marry. The ruling does not legal ize same-sex unions in Alaska, but forces the state to prove a compelling rea son why such unions should be illegal. Last year, Jay Brause and Gene Dugan of Anchorage challenged a 1996 law ban ning same-sex marriage, trying to force the state to recognize their relationship of nearly 20 years. The gay couple argued the law vio lates the Alaska Constitu tion. On Friday, Superior Court Judge Peter Michalski threw out the state’s bid to dismiss the case and ruled that choosing a partner is a fundamental right. “It is the decision itself that is fundamental, whether the decision results in a traditional choice or the nontradition al choice Brause and Dugan seek to have recognized,” Michalski wrote. “The same Constitution protects both.” WASHINGTON, D.C. Bankruptcy filings increase More Americans filed for bankruptcy in 1997 than ever before, federal court officials reported Friday. More than 1.4 million bankruptcy petitions were filed — up about 300,000, or 19 percent, from the 1.17 million filed in 1996. ‘The data released by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts showed that 1.35 million individu als and 54,000 businesses sought protection from creditors in federal bank ruptcy courts last years: From j-W Wire Reports’
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Lawrence Journal World
Lawrence, Kansas, US
Sat, Feb 28, 1998
Page 52
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