Legal focus of Massachusetts gay marriage debate shifts to nonresidents
By JENNIFER PETER
Associated Press Writer

BOSTON (AP) - Gov. Mitt Romney has demanded copies of all marriage applications issued to gay couples in Provincetown, Somerville, Springfield and Worcester - four municipalities that openly defied the governor's residency requirement for same-sex marriages.

A day after cities and towns across the state granted the nation's first gay marriage licenses, Judy Goldberg, a top administration lawyer, called all four communities Tuesday to request immediate copies of the documents, perhaps signaling the next front in the legal battle over same-sex marriage.

"They've singled out only the select few that announced a policy contrary to the governor's interpretation," Provincetown Town Manager Keith Bergman said. "This is the first step toward something, that's for sure."

After several unsuccessful attempts to delay Monday's court-ordered legalization of gay marriage, Romney informed city and town clerks that a 1913 statute barred them from issuing marriage licenses to out-of-state residents who have no plans to move to Massachusetts.