Tester statement on Montana’s marriage equality decision

(U.S. Senate) – Senator Jon Tester today released the following statement after Brian Morris, U.S. District Court Judge for Montana, determined Montana’s ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional:

“I applaud today’s ruling. It aligns our laws with our values and is a big step forward for our state. Denying same-sex couples the right to marry denies them happiness and equal protection under the law.”

The plaintiffs in the case, Angie and Tonya Rolando of Great Falls, Shauna and Nicole Goubeaux of Billings, Ben Milano and Chase Weinhandl of Bozeman and Sue Hawthorne and Adel Johnson of Helena, filed suit in May in federal court.

Tester affirmed his support for marriage equality last year, saying “how Montanans define a family should be their business and their business alone.”