CHICAGO (AP) — Two county clerks from downstate Illinois are asking a judge for permission to defend the state's gay marriage ban.
Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez and Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan have said they won't defend the state against a lawsuit filed by 25 gay and lesbian couples because they too believe the ban is unconstitutional.
But Effingham County Clerk Kerry Hirtzel and Tazewell County Clerk Christie Webb want to defend the law.
The Thomas More Society filed a request late Friday on their behalf, seeking permission to intervene in the case.
Peter Breen is head of the Thomas More Society. He says Hirtzel and Webb have an interest in ensuring that the law is applied uniformly across Illinois because they are the keepers of marriage licenses.
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