A conservative Missouri group on Wednesday attempted to put a quick stop to same-sex couples’ right to file joint tax returns, saying it violates the state’s ban on gay marriage.
Kerry Messer, head of the Missouri Family Network, is fighting an executive order signed in November by Gov. Jay Nixon. The order allows same-sex couples married in other states to file joint tax returns because the state’s tax code is connected to the federal government.
In a filing in Cole County Court in Jefferson City, Messer claims he and other taxpayer’s rights are being violated, asks for the status quo to be preserved and says there will be “immediate and irreparable harm” if gay couples file joint returns.
The Missouri Family Network didn’t return a phone call seeking comment.
Kyle Piccola, the Kansas City field organizer with PROMO, a state gay rights lobbying group, said the only harm being done is toward the gay couples who can’t file joint returns in states other than Missouri that refuse to acknowledge the couple’s marriage.
“For example in Kansas, where their state and federal taxes are combined … you are not allowed, if you’re a married same-sex couple, to file jointly,” he said. “They have to file five returns just to file their taxes.”
