Benton County Blues

One Oregon county has come up with a novel solution to the gay marriage “problem” — nobody can get married there. Read:

In a new twist in the battle over same-sex marriage roiling the United States, a county in Oregon has banned all marriages — gay and heterosexual — until the state decides who can and who cannot wed.

The last marriage licenses were handed out in Benton County at 4 p.m. local time (7:00 p.m. EST) Tuesday. As of Wednesday, officials in the county of 79,000 people will begin telling couples applying for licenses to go elsewhere until the gay marriage debate is settled.

“It may seem odd,” Benton County Commissioner Linda Modrell told Reuters in a telephone interview, but “we need to treat everyone in our county equally.”

If Benton County were really smart, they’d also put a moratorium on divorces. The county could then become a haven for rich guys who didn’t get a pre-nup.

(Hat tip to Aaron C. for finding that gem.)