In an effort to block a constitutional amendment banning homosexual marriage, the Michigan Board of State Canvassers has refused to let the issue on the November ballot. Ted Olsen at Christianity Today explores their reasoning:
No one denies that Citizens for the Protection of Marriage has enough signatures to put a state constitutional amendment on Michigan's November 2 ballot. The organization needed around 317,700 signatures, but got 480,000 of them.
But yesterday, the four-member Michigan Board of State Canvassers deadlocked, thus blocking the amendment from appearing on the ballot.
"Democratic Canvasser Doyle O'Connor said the board should not place an amendment before voters that would be 'patently unlawful' and certain to be struck down by the courts if approved," the Detroit Free Press reports. "O'Connor sided with opponents of the marriage proposal who claim it would nullify existing benefits for unmarried partners offered by universities, local governments and private corporations, in addition to restricting marriage to heterosexual couples. To do so, he said, would violate other constitutional protections and 'could never be enforced. We know the courts would set it aside.'"
Huh. A constitutional amendment would be unlawful? That's odd.
Odd, indeed.
1 comment:
Who are these petty bureaucrats who presume to speak for thier state judiciary? Every other small-time politician who has sought to redefine marriage has been firmly SHUT DOWN by their state judges!
Tryanny of the majority they say? 2 smarmy little democrats are blocking the constitutional rights of the 480,000 petition signers in michigan, because somehow "they know what's best".
Please
Marty
www.VigilanceMatters.com
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