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Gay Marriage Dispute Pending In New Mexico

Attorney General Gary King plans to talk about a simmering dispute over whether same-sex marriage is legal in New Mexico.

King has scheduled a news conference Thursday in Albuquerque about a request for a nonbinding opinion by his office on whether same-sex couples can be legally married in the state.

A state court challenge is pending over the gay marriage issue. Two same-sex couples filed a lawsuit in Albuquerque in March after being denied marriage licenses.

Dozens of licenses were issued to same-sex couples in 2004 by a Sandoval County clerk, but then-Attorney General Patricia Madrid declared the licenses invalid.

The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule this month in two cases involving same-sex marriage, including California's voter-approved ban on gay marriage.