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South Dakota Appeals Federal Judge’s Ruling On Gay Marriage

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota’s attorney general has followed through and appealed a federal judge’s ruling over the state’s ban on same-sex marriage.

U.S. District Judge Karen Schreier declared the state’s gay marriage ban unconstitutional last month but put legal same-sex marriages on hold.

Attorney General Marty Jackley has filed an appeal and asked for an expedited hearing before the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Minneapolis attorney Josh Newville represents the six South Dakota couples trying to overturn the state’s ban and says he joined Jackley in asking for a quick hearing but hasn’t yet appealed Schreier’s ruling.

The lawsuit challenges a 1996 state law and a voter-approved 2006 constitutional amendment that bans gay marriage.