09/12/2005
Support for Massachusetts Amendment Erodes
An anti-gay amendment put together by Massachusetts lawmakers that would ban gay marriages but enshrine civil unions has lost so much support that it looks unlikely to get the needed votes to get it on the ballot. Same-sex marriage in Massachusetts will remain legal for the foreseeable future.
More than a dozen lawmakers who voted for it the first time around said they will switch their votes this week, either because they fully support gay marriage or oppose civil unions. Others simply said that after more than a year of watching gay couples marry with no ill effect on society, they see no need to rescind the right.Rep. Anne M. Gobi, D-Spencer, had a change of heart after seeing how the opportunity to marry has changed the lives of so many couples. She said she could not support the compromise amendment, as she did last year.
"I haven't talked to any married heterosexual couples that have felt threatened by same-sex marriages," she said. "When you look at the world situation and all the terrible things that are happening, there's a lot worse things ... than allowing two people who love each other to be together."
An alternative amendment, which would simplify the bigotry by declaring marriage to be between a man and a woman, is being proposed for inclusion on the ballot in 2008.
Posted 12:00 PM EST by Andy Towle in Gay Marriage | Permalink
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Let's hear it for long, slow amendment processes like MA's. It forces people to slow down and cool off and really think about whether they want to amend the constitution or not.
If this had been CA, the amendment would already have been put to a referendum by now -- and probably passed (although I do realize that polls are growing more favorable in CA since the last time voters spoke on this issue).
Posted by: Glenn | Sep 12, 2005 12:25:13 PM
The major reason why the current ammendment is doomed is because of the approval of the citizen's petition amendment. The bulk of our Republican constituency (about 20% of the state legislature now) has pulled their support for the current ammendment because they don't even want to grant civil unions.
Unless voters in this state can vote out the Republicans and replace with with sympathetic Democrats (or Independents), the chances of the citizen's petition ammendment reaching the ballot is very high (dare I say 80+% certain). The year to watch is 2008 - a presidential election year nonetheless.
Posted by: Onlyinthesouthend | Sep 12, 2005 8:53:52 PM