KY Gov.-Elect to Drop Clerk Names from Marriage Forms

Kentucky's governor-elect is vowing to protect the religious freedom of county clerks who oppose same-sex marriage.

Matt Bevin is a Christian who won more than 52 percent of the vote in Kentucky's recent election.

"One thing I will take care of right away is we will remove the names of the county clerks from the marriage forms, " Bevin said at a news conference at the state Capitol in Frankfort.

On the campaign trail, he backed Rowan County clerk Kim Davis' refusal to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples because it violates her religious beliefs.

A federal judge sent her to jail for five days for her refusal and ordered her office to issue marriage licenses signed by her deputy clerks.

Davis says all she wants is to have her name removed from marriage licenses, but the current governor says that takes an act of the legislature.

Bevin disagrees and says he'll issue an executive order as soon as he takes office.

"The idea that cannot be done is baloney," Bevin said. "We will do that by executive order. We will do that right out of the gate."