Florist who refused same-sex wedding job settles with couple

RICHLAND, Wash. (AP) — A florist in Washington state who was in an eight-year legal battle that reached the U.S. Supreme Court will retire after settling with the same-sex couple whose wedding job she refused. The Tri-City Herald reports Barronelle Stutzman of Richland, Washington, announced the settlement Thursday, saying she has paid $5,000 to Robert Ingersoll. She also wished Ingersoll “the very best.” Ingersoll and husband Curt Freed plan to donate the settlement payment to a local PFLAG chapter, and personally match the $5,000. According to her attorneys, the agreement allows Stutzman to “preserve her conscience” by not forcing her to act against her Southern Baptist religious beliefs.