WASHINGTON, November 9, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Nine more US states have pledged the introduction of constitutional amendments to ban same-sex “marriage.”
Legislators in the states of Alabama, Idaho, South Carolina and Washington have promised to introduce amendments in the coming weeks, while Texas and Virginia representatives have begun the process with “pre-filed” constitutional amendments.
Massachusetts, Tennessee and Wisconsin amendments have already passed a first vote and require one additional vote in either of the legislative assemblies, before going to voters for final approval. The overwhelming success of marriage amendments in all 11 states that proffered them November 2, “will encourage legislators in other states to follow suit,” Alliance Defense Fund lawyer Glen Lavy said. The approval of traditional marriage as typified by the vote last week “was an overwhelming endorsement of the idea that marriage is what it always has been – [the union of] a man and a woman,” Lavy said, as reported by The Washington Times. The success of the amendment vote last week should give lawmakers “some confidence that this is an issue that the American people are behind and are willing to support,” Institute for Marriage and Public Policy in Washington legal analyst Joshua Baker said. Constitutional amendments banning same-sex “marriage” have already passed in 17 states, including: Hawaii, Alaska, Nebraska, Missouri, Louisiana and Nevada. Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon and Utah all passed their amendments November 2. Canadian Conservative MP Rob Moore introduced a private member’s bill Friday, allowing Parliamentarians the opportunity to vote on the definition of marriage for Canada. See related LifeSiteNews.com coverage: Voters in 11 States Ban Homosexual “Marriage” Despite Massive Media Bias https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2004/nov/04110304.html Canadian Conservative MP Introduces Bill on Definition of Marriage https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2004/nov/04110806.html tv