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| Date: From: Subject: | 2/10/2005 12:40:34 PM Home School Legal Defense Association Virginia Passes Marriage Amendment |
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====================================================================== From the HSLDA E-lert Service... ====================================================================== February 10, 2005 Virginia Passes Marriage Amendment Dear HSLDA members and friends: Good news! The Marriage Amendment to the constitution passed the Virginia Senate a few days ago by a vote of 30 to 10. Two days ago it also passed the entire House. We praise God for this strong endorsement and future protection of the family. This amendment would not only prohibit same-sex marriages or the recognition of them from other states, but would also prohibit civil unions and prevent the transfer of traditional marriage benefits to same-sex couples. This is a significant victory for the family. However, the battle is not over. Virginia requires that all constitutional amendments pass the Senate and House twice, and there has to be an election cycle between the votes. After the amendment is passed a second time it goes to the people to be voted on in a public referendum. Therefore, the Marriage Amendment has to be passed again next year, and if it is, it will be on the ballot in November 2006. We have high expectations that this will happen. There is no need to make any calls at this time, except to thank those who voted for the House and Senate versions. The only Senators who voted against the bill were Senators Edwards, Howell, Lambert, Locke, Lucas, Marsh, Puller, Saslaw, Ticer, and Whipple. Every other Senator voted for the amendment. THE ACTUAL LANGUAGE OF THE AMENDMENT RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, a majority of the members elected to each house agreeing that marriage is central to the liberty, happiness, and prosperity of a free and virtuous people, and is, among other things, a natural and optimal institution for uniting the two sexes in a committed, complimentary, and conjugal partnership for begetting posterity and for providing children with the surest opportunity to be raised by their mother and father, and, be it RESOLVED FURTHER that the following amendment to the Constitution of Virginia and the same hereby, is proposed and referred to the General Assembly at its first regular session held after the next general election... The actual article to the bill of rights is Section 15-A, called Marriage. "That in this Commonwealth, a marriage shall consist exclusively of the union of one man and one woman. Neither the Commonwealth nor its political subdivisions shall create or recognize another union, partnership, or other legal status which is assigned the rights, benefits, obligations, qualities, or effects of marriage." We thank all of you who were involved in making the Marriage Amendment a reality. There are still some technical procedures that need to be accomplished to complete the process this year, but for all intents and purposes the Marriage Amendment is passed. We are looking forward to the General Assembly voting on it again next year, and the final vote by the people in November 2006. Sincerely, Christopher J. Klicka HSLDA Senior Counsel ---------------------------------------------------------------------- -> Will your friends stand by you in trouble? They will if you're an HSLDA member and your homeschool is threatened. HSLDA is ready to stand by your side along with 80,000 other homeschool families. 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