Tenn. is latest state to send marriage amendment to voters

by Michael Foust                                                                                        Vol. XVIII, No. 7, August 2005

Tennessee's legislature passed a constitutional marriage amendment March 17, sending it to citizens for a November 2006 vote. The amendment – which would ban same-sex "marriage" within the state – passed the Tennessee House 86-7. It already had passed the Senate.

Tennessee is the fourth state legislature this year to send a marriage amendment to voters, following similar actions in Alabama, Kansas, and South Dakota. Kansans passed their amendment April 5. Citizens in Alabama and South Dakota will consider their amendments next year.

A marriage amendment has never failed at the ballot. Last year amendments went 13-for-13, passing with an average of 70.8% of the vote.

"If you destroy the definition of marriage, then it would have an adverse effect on society," Tennessee state Rep. Bill Dunn, a Republican and an amendment sponsor, said during floor debate.

The national movement to ban same-sex "marriage" is a reaction against court rulings in other states – particularly Massachusetts, which saw its highest court legalize same-sex "marriage." Massachusetts had no marriage amendment.

Marriage amendments protect states from Massachusetts-type rulings. So far, 16 states have passed them. A 17th state, Hawaii, has an amendment that allows the state legislature to ban same-sex "marriage."

Approximately 15 other states are considering state constitutional marriage amendments. Pro-family leaders support state marriage amendments but say that a federal marriage amendment will provide the only lasting protecting. The state amendments have one significant weakness – they can be challenged in federal court. Nebraska's and Oklahoma's amendments are in federal court. [BP]

[For more information about the national debate over same-sex "marriage," visit www.bpnews.net/samesexmarriage .]