The Washington Times
  • Subscribe
  • Times News Services
  • RSS
  • Mobile Headlines
  • e-edition
  • E-MAIL ALERTS
  • REGISTER
  • LOG IN
  • E-MAIL ALERTS
  • WELCOME
  • Your Profile
  • Log Out
  • Front Page Image
  • Classifieds
  • Autos
  • Real Estate
  • Jobs
  • Special Sections
  • Customer Service
  • Home
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Sports
    • NFL
    • NBA/WNBA
    • MLB
    • NHL
    • Tennis
    • Golf
    • Motorsports
    • Soccer
    • NCAA
    • Olympics
    • Outdoors
    • Other
  • Culture
    • Home & Living
    • Family & Kids
    • Fashion
    • Food
    • Travel
    • Health
    • Washington Visitors
    • Books
    • Military History
    • Life
    • Auto
    • TV Listings
    • Movie Listings
    • Death Notices
    • Entertainment
  • Themes
  • Communities
  • Shopping
    • Stores
    • Coupons
    • Daily Double
    • Promotion
    • How It Works
  • Videos
    • Two Guys
    • Birnbaum on Washington
    • Liz Glover
    • Amanda Carpenter
    • Morning Briefing
    • Documentaries
    • Joe Giganti
    • Video Game Minute
  • Podcasts
    • About Headlines
    • Audio and Radio
    • America's Morning News
  • Politics

    CURL: West Point is site of historic Vietnam speech

  • Politics

    Climate 'czar' says hacked e-mails don't change anything

  • Food

    Obama pardons 'Courage,' the Thanksgiving turkey

  • Politics

    Obama to outline war plan at West Point

  • Politics

    Obama to attend Denmark climate summit

  • Business

    Initial jobless claims lowest in about year

  • National

    PULLEN: GOP came unmoored in last decade – it hurt

Sunday, October 10, 2004

Marriage amendment defeat stirs questions

Rate this story

Average 0.00
after 0 votes
Login or register to rate this story

  • Font Size -+
  • Print
  • Email
  • Comment
  • Tweet this!
  • Share
  • Article
  • Comments ()
  • Click-2-Listen
  • Videos

More Stories

  • Taliban chief rejects talks with Karzai government
  • Obama to outline war plan at West Point
  • Obama expects support for more troops
  • D.C. sports icon, Wizards owner Pollin dies

By

News that Louisiana's new constitutional marriage amendment had been overturned because it is too broad is reverberating in other states, where proposed amendments may be put to similar court tests.

At issue is whether voters can be asked to define what marriage is -- and what it isn't -- in the same amendment. Or, as a Louisiana judge ruled Wednesday, must voters be given separate ballot questions on other kinds of marriagelike unions.

This question is being addressed in Louisiana, but it's likely to be raised in several of the 11 states that have constitutional marriage amendments on their Nov. 2 ballots.

All of the amendments are designed to prevent "activist judges" from legalizing same-sex "marriage," as Massachusetts' high court did nearly a year ago.

Most, if not all, states say constitutional amendments must be limited to a single subject. Multiple sentences are allowed as long as they relate to the one subject.

Louisiana voted on its marriage amendment on Sept. 18. Nearly 78 percent of voters approved the amendment, which defines marriage as the union of one man and one woman, gives "legal incidents of marriage" only to married couples, prohibits recognition of "the legal status of any union of unmarried individuals" and prohibits recognition of out-of-state unions that are not of one man and one woman.

District Judge William Morvant in Baton Rouge, La., said Wednesday that the third clause of the amendment introduces "a separate object, which requires a separate amendment."

Court observers inferred that Judge Morvant had been swayed by testimony that some voters may have wanted to oppose same-sex "marriage," but that they approve of civil unions for homosexuals.

Since the third clause has a new subject, the court "expressly declares the said proposed constitutional amendment to be unconstitutional," Judge Morvant wrote.

Defenders of the Louisiana amendment said lawmakers were well aware of the "one subject" amendment rule and wrote their amendment correctly.

12Next »

Post a comment

There are comments on this article, submit your opinion!

Commenting is disabled for this entry.
If you feel there is still something worth mentioning about this entry please contact the author or the site admin.

Ask a Question

You Report

Do you have another point of view, photos, audio, video or more information about a story?

Top Stories

Most Read

  1. EDITORIAL: Hiding evidence of global cooling
  2. Top Republican lawmakers not attending State Dinner
  3. Fenty trails Gray in D.C. poll
  4. Conservatives seek test for RNC funds
  5. Food snobs fork over $225 for taste of heritage turkey
More Top Stories »
  1. Religious leaders vow civil disobedience on anti-life issues
  2. PRUDEN: Obama's due process doctrine
  3. KELLNER: New Apple mouse really is 'Magic'
  4. List of W.H. state dinner guests
  5. Company that repaired Chairman Gray's house lacked license

Most Shared

  1. EDITORIAL: Hiding evidence of global cooling
  2. Climate 'czar' says hacked e-mails don't change anything
  3. EDITORIAL: Kennedy vs. Catholicism
  4. EDITORIAL: Obama's sacked inspector general
  5. 'Boutique' patients pay for better access to doctors
More Top Stories »
  1. PULLEN: GOP came unmoored in last decade – it hurt
  2. The United Socialist States of America
  3. Ego of 'O': It's all about him
  4. Ky. hanging, ruled a suicide, leaves bloggers at loss for words
  5. Fenty trails Gray in D.C. poll

Most Commented

  1. EDITORIAL: Hiding evidence of global cooling
  2. Top Republican lawmakers not attending State Dinner
  3. Climate 'czar' says hacked e-mails don't change anything
  4. Conservatives seek test for RNC funds
  5. PRUDEN: Obama's due process doctrine
More Top Stories »
  1. Ky. hanging, ruled a suicide, leaves bloggers at loss for words
  2. EDITORIAL: Obama's sacked inspector general
  3. EDITORIAL: Terrorists use Democratic talking points
  4. A-listers, fundraisers at W.H. state dinner
  5. The United Socialist States of America

Listen to Washington Times Radio

  • America's Morning News

    with John McCaslin and Melanie Morgan

Blogs & Columns

  • Hot Button Blog

    RNC: Breast cancer recommendations may lead to 'rationing'

  • Belief Blog

    Evangelicals OK civil disobedience

  • Out of Context

    Foods that might kill libido

  • On the Fly

    United lifts some 'award' blocking

  • Technology

    Facebook wins round against phishing spammer

  • Redskins 360

    Gray coy about job

  • SNOBlog

    Beyond 'Woody'

Videos

Advertising Links
TWT Store
  • e-edition
  • Print Edition
  • Weekly Washington Times
TWT Affiliates
  • Middle East Times
  • Golf
  • UPI
  • Arbor Ballroom
  • Washington Times Global
  • About TWT
  • Press Room
  • F.A.Q.
  • Work for TWT
  • Advertise
  • Sponsors
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Site Map

All site contents © Copyright 2009 The Washington Times, LLC.