Battle over gay marriage heats up in Massachusetts

Reuters ^ | Thursday, November 9, 2006 | Jason Szep

[MinorityRepublican]

BOSTON, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Massachusetts' lawmakers on Thursday took a giant step toward killing a proposal to ban gay marriage in the only U.S. state where it is legal.

With protesters on both sides of the debate rallying outside the gold-domed statehouse, lawmakers voted 109 to 87 to delay a decision on whether to back a constitutional amendment that would have given voters a chance to ban gay marriage.

Gay rights advocates cheered the move, seen as a crushing blow to opponents of gay marriage who had gathered 170,000 signatures in a petition that asked lawmakers to put the culturally divisive issue before voters in 2008.

By adjourning until Jan. 2, the last official day of the legislative session, the Democratic-controlled legislature virtually guarantees the proposed amendment will not be taken up and therefore be killed.

"It's a travesty, it's wrong," said Kristian Mineau, president of the Massachusetts Family Institute, a conservative Christian organization which led the petition drive. "We call on the governor to step in."

Republican Gov. Mitt Romney, a vocal opponent of gay marriage, said "the rule of law and the sovereignty of the people have been trampled" but there was little he could do to force the state's lawmakers to vote on the amendment.

"My options are limited but we will explore any alternatives that may exist to protect the constitutional rights of the people," said Romney, a Mormon millionaire who has staked out conservative positions on a number of sensitive social issues ahead of a likely 2008 presidential bid.

[2ndDivisionVet]

The only battle over homosexual marriage in Massachusetts is likely to be over who caters the affair and which Kennedy will officiate!

[MinorityRepublican]

bump

[libertylover]

It's quite telling-the Democrats don't want the people to decide. The Democrats just told the people of Massachusetts, "You're too stupid to decide issues. Leave things to us elites". And yet they vote for the likes of Ted Kennedy and John Kerry.

[longtermmemmory]

bump to the stay at home useful idiots.

[dcnd9]

Article on Boston.com
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2006/11/10/legislature_again_blocks_bid_to_ban_gay_marriage/?page=1

"Gay marriage opponents, including Governor Mitt Romney, angrily accused lawmakers of willfully denying the public a chance to vote on an amendment that had the support of more than 170,000 people who signed petitions to get it on the ballot.

"This is the Constitution of Massachusetts," said Kris Mineau, president of the Massachusetts Family Institute. "The constitution says that this Legislature has the obligation to take final action on our amendment."

"They just trashed it," Mineau said, throwing the constitution to the ground."

[Andy'smom]

Good column by Howie Carr:

http://news.bostonherald.com/columnists/view.bg?articleid=166555

[benjaminjjones]

j8910

Since Nov 6, 2006

[Ol' Sparky]

"My options are limited but we will explore any alternatives that may exist to protect the constitutional rights of the people," said Romney, a Mormon millionaire who has staked out conservative positions on a number of sensitive social issues ahead of a likely 2008 presidential bid.

Psst, Mitt. Want to be the GOP Presidential nominee? Find a way to get the amendment on the ballot in 2008.

[RexBeach]

Look, why bother about Massachusetts? Nobody there cares about anything anymore. The Commonwealth is dead meat, it's done, stick a fork in it.

As a rule, I am never this pessimistic, however, MA is a special case. All of the Republicans up there, if there are any left, should move - almost anywhere else. The state is a cesspool: Taxes are way too high, outrage is the varsity sport of MA, the pols are so crooked they couldn't lie straight in bed, and more government is the answer for everything. Everything.

Too bad. Once upon a time, it was a decent place to live.

[apro]

Very well said, Rex, can't agree more. And how about all the nuts on the radio defending the reason why MA residences COULDN'T vote on it. MA is a huge joke.

[little jeremiah]

I think it's civil disobedience time in Massachusetts, myself.

Homosexual Agenda Ping

Freepmail wagglebee or little jeremiah to subscribe or unsubscribe from the homosexual agenda ping list.

Click FreeRepublic homosexual agenda keyword search for a list of all related articles.

Add keywords homosexual agenda to flag FR articles to this ping list.

[gidget7]

Romney's options are and always have been, more plentiful than people are suppose to know. Another elite?

He didn't have to order licenses be issued, but he did. He didn't have to order partner a and partner b be put on them, but he did. In both cases, no law was ever passed or even proposed, and both are illegal to this day.

He still has powers of executive order, which he has never used. And he could order the legislature back and force them to vote on it, he hasn't, and probably won't. He keeps saying he is consulting his council..........I don't know who this council is, but they are not giving him the right advice. Regardless, as brilliant a man as he is, there is no convincing me he doesn't know the constitution. Sorry, he could have stopped it before it started, and he still could.

[gidget7]

"This is the Constitution of Massachusetts," said Kris Mineau, president of the Massachusetts Family Institute. "The constitution says that this Legislature has the obligation to take final action on our amendment."

"They just trashed it," Mineau said, throwing the constitution to the ground."


Not only that, they went to the AG, trying to get him to keep it from being voted on, even Rielly told them YES they HAD to vote on it