Orangetown Prepared for Marriage Equality Act

Orangetown Town Clerk Charlotte Madigan understands the fuss. She just isn't a part of it.

The Marriage Equality Act of 2011, which will allow same-sex couples in New York to get married, will take effect Sunday, July 24.

"To be honest, I've been around so long that I don't see this as any big deal," Madigan said. "The biggest deal will be the state getting us the licenses we need. They already gave us the marriage license request. They also gave us the certificate of marriage registration. We don't have the transcripts of marriage yet."

Madigan explained that the transcripts are used as replacements if somebody loses their certificate of marriage. They would most likely not be necessary any time soon with same-sex couples just getting their first opportunity to marry this Monday.

Some town clerk's offices will be open Sunday, the day the law takes effect. Others will have extra hours Monday. Neither of those will be the case in Orangetown.

"I have no plans to be open late Monday or open Sunday," Madigan said. "The requests haven't merited it. I have gotten two or three calls, but they are getting married in the future and one may not go through with it.One asked a hundred questions. I just gave them a hundred answers."

Madigan expects things to go smoothly, or at least that any problems will quickly be worked out. She is in her 16th year as town clerk, so transitions are nothing new.

"I have spoken to quite a few town clerks to reassure them that this is really not a big deal," Madigan said. "After 16 years, I've learned it all works out. 

"I assume a lot. I assume the software will work with the state licensing. We haven't put that into effect yet. You don't know until you are able to do it."

The major change on the New York marriage licenses issued by the state department of health is that instead of reading "bride and groom," it is now "bridegroom and spouse." Madigan said she had already planned a couple of ways to work around the old forms if necessary before the new ones arrived this past Monday.

She compared it to a change with hunting licenses approximately 10 years ago that seemed like it would cause complications.

"Not to compare apples to oranges, but we went through something like this years ago," Madigan said. "That was a big operation. When it actually happened, I expected more problems and we didn't have them."