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Federal Appeals Court To Hear 3 More Gay Marriage Cases

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — A federal appeals court has agreed to hear arguments this spring from three more states defending gay marriage bans.

The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday granted a request to consider an appeal from South Dakota at an expedited pace. South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley says the court also combined the arguments with cases from Arkansas and Missouri.

All three states are appealing federal judges’ decisions to overturn gay marriage bans.

The St. Louis-based court says arguments will be the week of May 11 in Omaha, Nebraska. The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear arguments in April and could decide by June whether gay couples can marry nationwide.

Jackley says he plans to work with the attorneys general of Missouri and Arkansas to defend their bans.