Announcements

Same-Sex Wedding Trends

In the early spring of 2025, the Justice of the Peace Association launched a survey to quantify what some members reported: many same-sex couples rushed to marry after Donald Trump won the 2024 presidential election. Following are the findings of our survey.

Increase in Same-Sex Weddings

• 31% of officiants reported an increase in the number of inquiries or bookings for LGBTQ+ weddings
• 61% reported no noticeable change in the number of weddings
• 56% of respondents said that same-sex couples reported the political or social climate influenced their decision to marry.
• Since the election, only 14% of officiants changed the way they officiate or promote same-sex weddings

It makes sense that all marriage officiants didn’t observe this trend. One of the wonderful things about findaJP.com is the ability for couples to search different officiants, read their profiles, see testimonials and photos, and determine who is the perfect person to lead their ceremony.  So naturally there are some officiants who are more sympatico with gay and lesbian couples, and they will get more of those contacts. Likewise, some couples are more apt to establish an affinity with their officiant, and consequently may share their anxieties. Other officiants do a quick, down-and-dirty ceremony and may not create an opportunity to build a trusting connection. Therefore, they are less likely to hear about couples’ worries.

About the Survey-Takers

• Understandably, 80% of the officiants who took the survey are JPs or notaries public (in Maine, Florida or South Carolina) since JPus is an organization for civil officiants. In addition, 42% are ordained on-line to perform marriages and 4% are religious officiants with a congregation. Note: Survey respondents were permitted to check more than one category, so the total is greater than 100%.
• The respondents are an experienced bunch! Most (78%) of the officiants have been performing marriage ceremonies for more than 10 years. Another 17% for six – 10 years. Only five percent have been doing weddings for one to five years, and none for less than one year.
• Almost all (86%) of the officiants are from the northeast. The remaining 14% are from the midwest and east coast.

Related Links

• Using inclusive terminology in your ceremony
• JPus is an ally and advocate to protect marriage equality
• See the details of how JPus sought to change Connecticut’s terminology on its marriage licenses.
• Make sure your JP Profile lets couples know that LBGTQ couples are welcome

Same-Sex Marriage Trends Survey

The Christian Science Monitor is preparing an article about trends in same-sex marriages since the 2024 election, and they’re seeking the officiant perspective. The Justice of the Peace Association created a brief survey to gather your observations on any changes you’ve noticed in wedding trends over the past several months.

Your responses will help provide valuable insight for this important story. Thank you for sharing your experiences!

Take Survey Here

CT JPs testify to Support Legislation

Connecticut JPs Walk the Walk

Not content to sit on the sidelines, Connecticut JPs took action to address problems related to JP appointments and the quality and oversight of officiants in the state (HB7150, An Act Concerning Justices of the Peace). Several members of the Justice of the Peace Association took time out of their day to help members of the Planning and Development Committee better understand what officiating marriages is all about. Testimony included the need for training, improving the appointment process, developing systems to address illegal marriages (forced, trafficked and fraudulent), tracking the marriage status of couples and more.

Oral Testimony

JPus Managing Member Loretta Jay was joined by JPus members Jennifer Marshall Nealy, Anna Neumon and Katherine Vass speaking before the Planning and Development Committee on March 10, 2025. Recordings of their testimonies are visible below: Top left: Loretta Jay; top right: Jennifer Marshall Nealy. Bottom left: Anna Neumon; bottom right: Katherine Vass.

Written Testimony

We’re grateful to the JPs who submitted written testimony in support of HB7150.

In addition, Justice of the Peace Association Managing Member Loretta Jay; Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas; and Mark Bernacki from the Connecticut Town Clerk Association also submitted written testimony supporting the bill. Read all of the written testimony on the Connecticut General Assembly’s website.

Related Links

• How-to Testify in support of the bill, with written sample
• See the bill, HB7150, with highlighted sections related to JPs who perform marriages.
• The Justice of the Peace Association’s white paper
• The legislative backstory.
• Member Support article about how to advocate to support legislation

Testify in Support of CT JP Bill – 3/10/2025

• See our template to guide your written and oral testimony
• Oral testimony can be by Zoom or in person. Maximum time allowed is three minutes, though legislators may ask you questions extending your time. Link to sign up is below.

Sign-up to speak or submit written testimony in Support of HB7150

• Register to speak in-person or by Zoom. Deadline to sign-up is 3PM Sunday. Three minute time limit. The speaker order is randomized and is released at 6PM on Sunday night.
• Submit your written testimony here. The hearing is on March 10, 2025 at 10:30AM. Indicate that you SUPPORT HB7150.

HB7150, An Act Concerning Justices of the Peace

The Justice of the Peace Association worked with the state legislators who introduced the bill, along with Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas on the language of the bill. This is the critical bill to address problems Connecticut JPs have reported:

• Establishing training and qualifications for JPs. The bill requires JPs to pass a test following their appointment. Training may be implemented, too.
• Inability to transfer JP appointments between municipalities. This will be addressed through a working group tasked with examining issues related to JPs.
• Favoritism and discrimination by DTCs and RTC impeding the appointment process. This will also be explored through the working group.
• Disparity toward unaffiliated and minor political party voters. The bill is a step in the right direction, creating a second window for non-major political party JPs to be appointed. JPus encourages testimony to support these vacant JP positions being filled at any time, not only during the two periods outlined in the legislation.
• Unbefitting JPs that make more work for town clerks and give professional JPs a bad name. This bill defines misconduct and establishes consequences for such behavior.

See the key points and the bill with highlighted language that relates to JPs who perform marriages.

Zoom Q&A, Two Sessions Scheduled Sunday: 9AM or 6PM

Questions? Join JPus’ Managing Member Loretta Jay on Sunday, March 9, 20025 at either 9AM or 6PM for more information about the proposed bill, guidance on how to submit written testimony and how to testify in person or by Zoom. Members and non-members are welcome.

• If you are on JPus’ email distribution list, please check your email for the Zoom links.
• If you don’t receive our emails yet, you can sign up here. A reminder will be sent on Sunday at 6AM with the link. If you missed that deadline, please email [email protected] to receive the Zoom links.

Related Links

• How-to Testify in support of the bill, with written sample
• See the bill, HB7150, with highlighted sections related to JPs who perform marriages.
• The Justice of the Peace Association’s white paper
• The legislative backstory.
• JPus 2023 Managing Member’s testimony to the Planning and Development Committee that summarizes the problem.
• Member Support article about how to advocate to support legislation

CT JPs – CoSponsors Needed

Contact YOUR STATE SENATOR and REPRESENTATIVE and ask them to
Co-Sponsor HB 6529 an Act Concerning Justices of the Peace

Please take a few minutes to call or email your Senator and Representative and ask them to cosponsor HB6529. This is the bill that addresses our concerns about JP appointments and qualifications.

Step One:

1. Look up your State Representative and Senator here. Follow the link to get their phone number and/or email address.
2. Call or send your State Representative and Senator an email asking them to cosponsor HB6529. Be sure to copy JPus on the email to let us know that you reached out to your legislators so that we can follow-up, too.

See talking points and sample e-mail language below. Please include your experiences so your legislators will recognize that this legislation is important to you — especially if you have been negatively affected by the current system.

See talking points and sample e-mail language below.

Step Two:

Be on the lookout for more information about a public hearing. We will want as many JPs as possible to testify. More info on that coming soon.

Current Situation:

The bill, HB6529, An Act Concerning Justices of the Peace, would:

• authorize municipal legislative bodies to fill vacancies in unaffiliated justice of the peace positions,
• require the Secretary of the State to oversee training and certification of justices of the peace and
• establish a task force to examine issues related to justices of the peace.

If passed, this legislation would create a roadmap to resolve the problems identified in JPus’ 2023 white paper.

Sample E-mail

Please remember to EDIT AND CUSTOMIZE and please copy [email protected] on the message.

Find your State Representative and Senator.

Dear (fill in the blank with your Senator or Representative’s name)

I am a (fill in the blank with Justice of the Peace or Town Clerk) in (Write your town).

Please cosponsor HB 6529, an Act Concerning Justices of the Peace. This much-needed bill will

• authorize municipal legislative bodies to fill vacancies in unaffiliated justice of the peace positions,
• require the Secretary of the State to oversee training and certification of justices of the peace and
• establish a task force to examine issues related to justices of the peace.

This bill will resolve problems that I have experienced. It is important to me.

Please feel free to contact me or Loretta Jay, the managing member of the Justice of the Peace Association, copied on this message, to discuss the details. Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

Your Name

Key findings of JPus’ 2023 research

• Systemic unfairness in appointment process: Favoritism, inequality between political parties, lack of portability between towns.
• Disparity between municipalities: Three different rules are used to determine how many JP slot are available in each city or town.
• No training requirement: This creates opportunity for nonfeasance, jeopardizing the legality of marriages and quality of services to the public. Trained JPs are partners to recognize forced marriage and human trafficking and marriage fraud. Thus, they are another team member to protect our most vulnerable.

Related Links

• The Justice of the Peace Association’s white paper
• The legislative backstory.
• JPus 2023 Managing Member’s testimony to the Planning and Development Committee that summarizes the problem.
• Member Support article about how to advocate to support legislation