[JURIST] The Georgia Supreme Court [official website] on Tuesday agreed to fast-track the state's appeal of a lower court ruling [order, PDF] striking down a state constitutional amendment [text] banning same-sex marriage [JURIST news archive] as unconstitutional. Oral arguments are scheduled for June 27. Gov. Sonny Perdue (R) [official website] said earlier this month that Georgia Attorney General Thurbert E. Baker [official website] would seek expedited review [JURIST report] of the decision, which held that the constitutional amendment violated a procedural safeguard [JURIST report] that prohibits voters from deciding more than one issue at a time.

Perdue has said that if the state Supreme Court does not rule on the ban by August 7 or doesn't overturn the decision he will call a special session of the General Assembly [official website] to write a new constitutional amendment that can be placed on the ballot in November. AP has more.