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Boise, Idaho • The federal government cannot force Idaho to change its definition of marriage as the union of one man and one woman, the conservative Cornerstone Family Council of Idaho contends in a recent court filing.

The council rejected the idea that a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision striking down a portion of the Defense of Marriage Act required Idaho to permit same-sex marriage or recognize same-sex marriages from other states.

The council's comments came in a court brief filed last week in a case in which four couples are suing the state over Idaho's ban on same-sex marriages.

The council contends the Supreme Court case narrowly involved the issuance of federal benefits to same-sex couples.