MONTGOMERY - Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore is once again suggesting that Alabama probate judges refuse to issue marriage licenses to gay couples - despite the U.S. Supreme Court ruling more than six months ago that effectively legalized same-sex marriage throughout the country.

The outspoken chief justice issued an administrative order Wednesday saying the Alabama Supreme Court never lifted a March directive to probate judges to refuse licenses to gay couples. He said the order to refuse the licenses remains in "full force."

However, Moore stopped short of directly telling judges to refuse the licenses.

Susan Watson is director of the ACLU of Alabama. Watson called Moore's order "silly" and said it wouldn't change the fact that most Alabama judges are issuing licenses to gay couples.