Mass. lawmakers vote to allow proposed amendment banning gay marriage to proceed
By Steve LeBlanc, Associated Press
Last update: January 02, 2007 – 4:12 PM
BOSTON — Lawmakers in Massachusetts, the only state where gay marriage is legal, voted Tuesday to allow a proposed constitutional amendment to move forward that would effectively ban the practice.Within two hours, they voted to reconsider, but then voted again to uphold their initial decision.
Sixty-one lawmakers voted in favor of advancing the measure, which would appear on the ballot in 2008 and declare marriage to be only between a man and a woman. The proposal still needs approval of the next legislative session.
After the initial vote, gay marriage proponents called for an hour recess.
They returned and voted 117-75 to reconsider the vote after a scolding from one of the Legislature's most outspoken gay marriage opponents.
Lawmakers later considered the issue a third time, voting 62-134 to advance the amendment to the legislative session.
If it makes it on the ballot and residents approve it, the amendment would leave Massachusetts' existing same-sex marriages intact but ban any new ones. (link)
The first step into undoing the judicial 'fiat' that created the same-sex marriages in the first place. I am against same-sex marriages, but I am for government of the people. If the citizens in Mass. vote against the amendment (if they get to vote) then I will support their decision (while still being against them myself). If they vote for the amendment, I'd like to think that others would support that decision also (while not changing their own views) but I highly doubt that. Only a vote to keep the marriages alive and continuing will be seen my the media as a good thing (I'd bet).
Jay over at Stop the ACLU has a better post on this (although I was ahead of him on it^^)
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Reason for democracy
Filed: Massachusetts, same-sex marriage, right to decide, Judicial Fiat, LordNazh
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