Politics
Monday July 10, 2006
Massachusetts Has a Chance to Scrap Gay "Marriage" as Court Approves 2008 Ballot Measure
TODAY'S HEADLINES
E-MAIL
PRINT
By Gudrun Schultz
BOSTON, Massachusetts, July 10, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A proposed
constitutional amendment banning same-sex “marriage” can be placed on
the 2008 ballot, the Supreme Judicial Court ruled today.
In a unanimous decision, the Court said the Massachusetts’ constitution
did not prevent citizen-initiated amendments from seeking changes to
the state constitution, even if the changes would overrule previous
court decisions, reported the AP today.
Family advocacy groups and faith communities had collected over 120,000
signatures on a petition to overturn the 2003 decision to recognize
homosexual “marriage” in the state, nearly twice the 65,000 signatures
necessary. The petition would see a proposed amendment defining
marriage as only between one man and one woman placed on the 2008
ballot for voters.
The Massachusetts homosexual activist group Gay & Lesbian Advocates
& Defenders (GLAD) challenged the petition drive with a lawsuit,
filed in January, against a ruling by state Attorney General Tom
Reilly, which had granted legal approval to the citizen-led drive.
GLAD charged that the amendment would violate state constitution
restrictions against citizen-initiated challenges to a judicial ruling.
The Court said the amendment was legal since it was not directly aimed
against a judicial ruling, but instead sought to change the state
constitution.
With the approval of the Court and certification by the attorney
general, the ballot question on marriage now must receive approval by
two consecutive legislative sessions, receiving support by 25 percent
(50 votes) of the Legislature each time.
If the Legislature approves it, the question will go before voters in
the 2008 election. If passed, the amendment would overturn the 2003
state decision that made Massachusetts the first U.S. state to make
homosexual “marriages” legal.
A 2004 poll conducted by Zogby International found that 69 percent of
voters in the state want to vote on a constitutional amendment to
retain the traditional definition of marriage in Massachusetts.
Massachusetts Homosexual Activists Sue to Stop Marriage Amendment
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/jan/06010404.html
Back to TopLatest Headlines
- US Congress Passes Health Care Reform Bill 220 - 215
- Stupak Amendment to Health Care Bill Passes 240 - 194 Saturday Evening
- NY Times: Dems Banking on Later Squeezing Pro-Life Language Out of Bill in Committee
- USCCB Spokesman: "Definitely Not True" that Bishops Support Bill As it Stands
- TIME Got it Wrong - Prof. George Opposed Grandiose Kennedy Funeral
- Major Health Care Development - Pro-Life Stupak Amendment Vote OK'd for Saturday
- USCCB Condemnation Tears Facade off "Phony" Abortion Compromise for Health Bill
- Health Care Bill Includes Monthly Abortion Premium: House Minority Leader Boehner
- TIME Article Setting Burke Against O'Malley Called "Tactical strike" on Behalf of Catholic Left
- Dirty Fighting on Abortion Funding: Word-Games and Health-Care Theatrics Boggle the Mind
- Commentary on November 6 News
- Note to LifeSiteNews Subscribers with Rogers email addresses
- New York Gov. Declares Nov. 10 Extraordinary Legislative Session for Same-Sex "Marriage"
- Washington's Pro-Family Amendment Effort Defeated - R-71 Almost Certain to Pass
- Vote Pushed Back on Canadian Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide Bill to Dec. 2
- Elderly U.K. Couple in Good Health Commit Suicide, Complain of Assisted Suicide Law
- Texas Late-Term Abortionist and Baptist Minister Admits: "Am I killing? Yes, I am"
- New Evidence Contradicts CCHD's Findings on Accused Pro-Abortion Partner
- Quebec Priest Denies Possibility of Sexual Reorientation Therapy on TV
- New Hampshire Same-Sex "Marriage" Law in Crosshairs after Maine's Law Crumbles
- Brooklyn Bishop Criticized for Recorded Message Praising Pro-Abortion Politician
- First Group of "Traditionalist" Anglicans in Britain Votes to Enter Catholic Church
Most Read this Week
- Planned Parenthood Director Resigns after Watching Ultrasound of Abortion Procedure
- Nun Defiant Following Rebuke, but Stops Abortion Escorting
- Breaking: Dominican Community Apologizes for Nun Caught Acting as Abortion Escort
- TIME Article Setting Burke Against O'Malley Called "Tactical strike" on Behalf of Catholics Left
- Over 200 Christendom College Students Protest Abortion at Planned Parenthood Clinic
- US Congress Passes Health Care Reform Bill 218 to 215
- Newly Identified Corporate Supporters of Planned Parenthood Named
- Scottish Gay Rights Activists Found Guilty of Pedophilia Sentenced to Life Imprisonment
- Major Health Care Bill Development - Stupak Hyde Amendment Vote OK'd
- Health Care Bill Includes Monthly Abortion Premium: House Minority Leader Boehner
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 or portions of it without request provided the content is not altered and it is clearly attributed to "LifeSiteNews.com". Any website publishing of complete or large portions of original LifeSiteNews articles MUST additionally include a live link to www.LifeSiteNews.com. The link is not required for excerpts. Republishing of articles on LifeSiteNews.com from other sources as noted is subject to the conditions of those sources.