Rusk County accepted County Clerk Joyce Lewis-Kugle’s resignation in a Commissioner’s Court meeting Monday morning.
Lewis-Kugle held the title of county clerk for ten years. In her retirement letter she writes, “Due to the recent decision by the Supreme Court, the laws I swore to have now changed.”
“I tried to talk her out of it because she’s a good friend of mine and somebody that i respect,” County Judge Joel Hale tells KETK, “and she’s done great job for Rusk County. But she felt pretty strongly about it.”
Rusk County was among many in East Texas that held off on issuing same-sex marriage licenses following the June 26th Supreme Court decision. The county has yet to receive any requests for licenses but says their software and employees are prepared to issue them.
Trudi Mcgill, Deputy Clerk for Rusk County, was sworn into the vacant role of county clerk after the meeting on Monday. She says she has mixed emotions about the situation.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity but I’m also saddened to see Joyce leave,” McGill says. “I hope that I have the ability to represent the office of the county clerk and uphold the laws that govern that office to the very best of my ability.”
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said in a written opinion in June that county clerks who have religious objections to same-sex marriage can refuse to issue licenses in Texas, but he warned them to be prepared to face legal challenges if they chose to do so.
(Information from MyEastTex.com)
