By Peter J. Smith
SANTA FE, New Mexico, December 22, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A proposal to ban same-sex “marriage” via constitutional amendment has been filed in the New Mexico legislature.
Senate Joint Resolution (SJR) 01 pre-filed for the 2010 legislative session by State Sen. William Sharer (R-Farmington), would define marriage in New Mexico as a monogamous heterosexual union, thereby excluding polygamous or homosexual unions from recognition as “marriages.”
SJR01 would amend Article 20 of the New Mexico constitution by adding a new section stating: “Marriage in this state shall consist only of the union of one man and one woman.”
For the amendment to be successful, both the state House and Senate must vote to approve the measure. The amendment would then have to be ratified by the people in a popular referendum. The state constitution provides that the people vote on the amendment at either the next general election or at a special election set by the legislature.
In the last legislative session, Sharer had proposed SB 162, which would have defined marriage in state law as a “civil contract between a man and a woman.” However that bill died in committee.
On the other side of the debate over marriage and same-sex “couples,” Gov. Bill Richardson says he intends to bring up domestic partnership legislation once again for the 2010 legislative session. Similar legislation, however, went down in defeat last year after considerable debate.