A federal appeals court has upheld a ruling that the state of Kentucky must pay almost a quarter-million dollars in legal expenses stemming from a former county clerk's refusal to issue same-sex marriage licenses.The three-judge panel of the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati on Friday upheld a 2017 ruling that the state must pay $224,000 in attorney fees and costs incurred by same-sex couples who sued.Lawyers for Gov. Matt Bevin, who supported former Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis when he ran for election in 2015, argued in January that Davis should pay the fees, not the state. A governor's spokesman and general counsel for his office didn't immediately return a request for comment.The lower court ruling said the state should pay because it is primarily responsible for regulating marriage.