Arizona Marriage Amendment Moves Forward

5-13-08

by Devon Williams, associate editor

The measure must pass the Senate before going to voters in November.

The Arizona House voted 33-25 Monday in favor of a constitutional amendment to protect marriage as the union of one man and one woman. If the Senate approves the amendment, it will appear on the November ballot.

Cathi Herrod, president of The Center for Arizona Policy, said she anticipates a close vote in the Senate.

“Opponents to the marriage amendment in Arizona have done every desperate political maneuver they can think of to block this, to block the Arizona voters from being able to have a say on a definition of marriage,” she said.

“This isn’t about politics. It’s about doing what’s right, and it’s about keeping the family unit being headed by husband and wife.”

Brian Raum, senior legal counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund, said the future of marriage should be decided by Arizonans, not by politicians or the courts.

Public opinion polls show 65 percent of Arizonans support traditional marriage.

“The people of Arizona agree that marriage is between one man and one woman," Raum said, "and it’s important to establish that in the Constitution so that future attacks would not be possible in the courts.

“Marriage is important to every person in this country. It’s the backbone of our society. It’s what creates strong families.”

America Votes to Protect Marriage

In 2004, thirteen states passed constitutional amendments that defined marriage as the union of one man and one woman. The measure received more votes than either presidential candidates, George W. Bush or John Kerry, in all but one state. Four other states had previously amended their constitutions, and two more passed marriage amendments in 2005.

In August 2006, Alabama became the twentieth state to protect marriage with a constitutional amendment. Seven additional states passed constitutional amendments on November 7, 2006 (Colorado, Idaho, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin). Arizona became the first state in which a marriage amendment did not pass—narrowly losing 49 percent to 51 percent. In an election year marked by victory for Democrats, the passage of seven of eight marriage amendments—27 overall—demonstrates that support for marriage transcends party affiliation.

Clearly, states are eager to protect one-man, one-woman marriage from court-mandated same-sex marriage, as happened in Massachusetts (2004), or the equivalent of same-sex marriage, as was ordered by the State Supreme Court of New Jersey in October 2006.