Missouri’s Attorney General has issued a statement on the issuing of same-sex marriage licenses by the St. Louis Recorder of Deeds to four couples, who were married in a ceremony in St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay’s office on Wednesday.

Attorney General Chris Koster

Attorney General Chris Koster

As Attorney General, it will fall on Chris Koster to argue against those licenses in light of the Missouri Constitution’s ban on same-sex marriage.

Koster writes, “While I personally support the goal of marriage equality, my duty as Attorney General is to defend the laws of the state of Missouri. While many people in Missouri have changed their minds regarding marriage equality, Missourians have yet to change their constitution.

“Cases currently pending in Jefferson City and Kansas City regarding the constitutionality of Missouri’s ban against same-sex marriage will be decided in the coming months. Regardless of my personal support for marriage equality, such vital questions cannot be decided by local county officials acting in contravention of state law.

“Therefore, I have asked the St. Louis Circuit Court to prevent the St. Louis City Recorder of Deeds from issuing such marriage licenses until this matter can be resolved by our state’s judiciary. This question will likely be fully answered by our Missouri courts within the next 12-18 months.”