Since 05-16-08
California
High Court Overturns Popular Marriage Referendum
Since 05-16-08
CATHOLIC NEWS AGENY
May 15, 2008 (Abridged)
CNA -- Marriage and the family were dealt a
blow today by a 4-3 California Supreme Court decision striking down the state’s
law preventing homosexuals from being recognized as married. Advocates of
marriage pledged to fight back with a ballot initiative aimed at amending the
state’s constitution to define marriage as between a man and woman.
The case which the Supreme Court ruled on today originated from a lawsuit filed
by the City of San Francisco in protest of a previous injunction issued by the
Supreme Court that halted the city’s March 2004 granting of same-sex marriage
licenses.
However, the battle over the meaning and definition of marriage cannot be
presumed a done deal.
A coalition of religious and social conservative groups is attempting to put a
measure on the November ballot that would secure California's current laws
banning gay marriage in the state constitution.
The Secretary of State is expected to rule by the end of June on whether the 1.1
million signatures gathered by the coalition qualify the constitutional
amendment to be placed on the November 2008 ballot.
Upon hearing the news of the California Supreme Court decision, the Alliance for
Marriage (AFM) issued a call to Californians to lend their support to their
state’s marriage amendment.
AFM president Matt Daniels reacted to the California ruling by saying he
believes it will “galvanize” the efforts to defend marriage. Within the Catholic
community, Daniels explained that Latino support will be “critical” to defending
marriage in California.
Nevertheless, Daniels was quick to point out that “the national battle continues
to rage, and I guarantee you that the outcome in California has national
significance.”
According to Daniels, “If the court decision in California stands, then marriage
in every state in the country is going to be in peril because California is
going to become a launching pad for judicial challenges in other states.”
California’s bishops expressed their “disappointment in the California Supreme
Court decision.”
“That statute reflected the wisdom of the voters of California in retaining the
traditional definition of marriage as a biological reality and a societal good.
Unfortunately, today, the Court saw fit to disregard the will of the majority of
people of California,” the bishops said.
Noting that domestic partnerships are already legal in California, the bishops
said that, “Today’s decision of California’s high court opens the door for
policymakers to deconstruct traditional marriage and create another institution
under the guise of equal protection.”
The Alliance for Marriage is a non-partisan, multicultural coalition whose Board of Advisors includes Rev. Walter Fauntroy -- the former DC Delegate who organized the March on Washington for Martin Luther King Jr. -- as well as other civil rights and religious leaders, and national legal experts.
