Politics
Tuesday January 8, 2008
See today's LifeSiteNews stories
Marriage Amendments Getting Ready to Go on Ballot in Four States
By Peter J. Smith
WASHINGTON, D.C., January 8, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Constitutional amendments protecting traditional marriage as the union of one man, and one woman may soon be poised to go on the ballot in at least four states in this year's election.
Focus on the Family's CitizenLink reports that voters in Florida, California, Indiana, and Arizona may have the chance to vote on marriage amendments for their state constitutions. For Arizona, it will mean round two in the battle for marriage, as pro-marriage advocates lost in that state in 2006, gaining only 49% of the vote. That measure, Proposition 107 went beyond banning same-sex "marriage" to ban also legal recognition of pseudo-marriage arrangements, such as civil unions for unwed heterosexual couples or homosexual couples. Polls taken after the amendment's defeat credited the extra mile to protect marriage for its demise. (http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/nov/06112411.html)
However, according to Mona Passignano, state issues analyst for Focus on the Family Action, the language of the first amendment was too complicated.
"This session, you're going to see much simpler language for Arizona, and I think it'll definitely help," Passignano said. "The polling numbers coming out of Arizona are very good on the simpler language."
So far twenty-seven US states have amended their constitutions to protect traditional marriage. Marriage advocates in Iowa and Pennsylvania are also working toward putting marriage amendment initiatives on the ballot for a future vote.
Tom Shaheen, vice president of policy for the Pennsylvania Family Institute, said his state needs an amendment because neighboring states are caving in to the homosexual agenda.
"We're working with many grassroots organizations and churches and individuals in Pennsylvania to get our legislators to make it a priority issue," Shaheen said.
Nathan Dunn, vice president of the Florida Family Policy Council, also told CitizenLink that he is gathering petitions for a marriage amendment to preempt a court-imposed mandate for homosexual "marriage."
"Despite the fact that we have a law on the books saying marriage is between a man and a woman, that law could be vulnerable to any activist judge coming along with his own agenda wanting to change that very vital institution."
See previous coverage by LifeSiteNews.com:
Poll: Arizona Marriage Amendment Failed Because it Also Affected Unwed Heterosexual Couples
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/nov/06112411.html
Back to TopSHARE THIS STORY: E-mail Print Newsvine Digg Reddit Del.icio.us Facebook
Latest Headlines
- Pro-Abortion Expression Permitted, Pro-Life Forbidden on Campus at Australia University
- Quebec Mayor Vows to Continue Prayer Despite Human Rights Commission Order
- Ontario Forces Taxpayers to Pay for Sex-Change Operations
- California Supreme Court Asked to Stay "Gay Marriage" Order until November Public Ballot
- Anglican Acceptance of both Abortion and Sanctity of Life will Allow the Creation of a Gay Church Says Bishop
- Governor Schwarzenegger Vows to Fight Reinstatement of Traditional Marriage
- President Bush and California Bishops Oppose Judicial Activism
- Internet Expertise to Save You Time and Money
- Abortifacient Morning After Pill Now Sold off the Shelf in Canada
- UK Commons Embryo Bill Debate Heated with "Wooly Liberal Thinking"
- Letters to the Editor for May 16th, 2008
Most Read this Week
- Texas Pastor Connected with Prominent Gay Porn Website
- Texas Pastor Resigns After Involvement in Gay Porn Site Exposed
- Archbishop Publicly Tells Pro-Abortion Kansas Governor Not to Receive Communion
- Archbishop: For the Clergy Obedience to Church "Requires Preaching About the Moral Evil of Contraception"
- California Supreme Court Imposes Homosexual 'Marriage' on State
- Even the Leaders Think the Homosexual Activist Movement in Canada is Going Too Far
- Christian Ministry to Disabled Drops its Code of Conduct Under Human Rights Tribunal Pressure
- Time Magazine: "Want to wreck the environment? Have a baby." - Prince Philip Concurs
- More and More Seeing that "The Pill Kills"
- Pope Reminds Spouses of their "Responsibility To Generate New Children"
MORE NEWS: 
LifeSiteNews.com Home Page Last 10 Days Archives Special Reports
Copyright © LifeSiteNews.com. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivatives License. You may republish this article without request provided the content is not altered and it is clearly attributed to "LifeSiteNews.com". Any Internet re-publishing of original LifeSiteNews articles MUST additionally include a live link to www.LifeSiteNews.com. Republishing of articles on LifeSiteNews that have come from other news sources as noted is subject to the conditions of those sources.