Washington State
ruling upholding ban on same-sex marriage may be
challenged

Lawyers for gay and lesbian couples will get two more weeks to possibly challenge the Washington State supreme court's ruling upholding the state's ban on same-sex marriage. Plaintiffs' attorneys still haven't decided whether to ask the high court to reconsider its 5-4 decision, which held that the state's law limiting marriage to heterosexual couples is constitutional.

The court has agreed to move the deadline for a reconsideration filing from August 15 to August 29 while the lawyers consider their next move. "The longer we have to think about it, the better off we are," said Lisa Stone, director of the Northwest Women's Law Center. "We are analyzing every conceivable option, and nothing's off the table at this point."

Supreme court justices rarely agree to revisit a ruling, lawyers in the case said. "It's an important case, so I think the court's obviously going to keep treating it that way," said state assistant attorney general Bill Collins, who defended the state's Defense of Marriage Act in court. (AP)