CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) – The Benton County Board of Commissioners complied with a judge’s ruling to resume issuing marriage licenses to heterosexual couples.

Commissioners Jay Dixon, Annabelle Jaramillo and Linda Modrell voted unanimously Aug. 26 to follow the order. In deciding a lawsuit filed by a heterosexual couple, Judge Wayne Harris ruled that the county had failed its duty to provide citizens with a service.

“This is real painful, being [as I have been] an advocate for equity since I was knee-high to a grasshopper,” Jaramillo said.

If the board ignored the ruling, it could have been found in contempt of court, which might have resulted in fines, jail time or both for the county clerk and all three commissioners, County Counsel Vance Croney said.

In March, the commissioners decided that same-sex couples should have the same right to marry as heterosexual couples. But the state warned the county not to issue licenses to same-sex couples.

In an effort to treat all couples equal, the board decided to stop issuing all licenses until the state Supreme Court had a chance to review the law prohibiting same-sex marriage.

The Gazette-Times newspaper reported that only one couple appeared that day to exercise their newly restored ability to purchase a marriage license.