...Monmouth University pollster and political scientist Patrick Murray said [Governor] Christie's proposal indicates that "politically, he doesn't want his fingerprints anywhere near this."
Murray said Democrats will first force Christie to veto their bill. Then, they will look at the political tea leaves to see if a ballot initiative can pass in November.
Even though a recent Quinnipiac University poll showed that 52 percent of New Jerseyans support gay marriage, the California ballot question in 2008 offers a lesson for Democrats.
Gay marriage there was banned, Murray said, in part because it was opposed by socially conservative African Americans who turned out in large numbers to vote for Barack Obama.
Obama is again on the ballot in November, presenting a similar potential pitfall.
Christie on Tuesday said the ballot measure should be posted for this November exactly because it's a presidential year and will bring the most voters out to the polls.
Even after a veto, Democrats still might not ask for a referendum.
Democrats "don't want to put it on the ballot and have it fail because that would probably end the debate over this for quite some time," Murray said. "It really is a very complex calculation that supporters of gay marriage would have to do before deciding to put this on the ballot."
Philly Inquirer: African Americans May Oppose SSM in New Jersey If Given Vote
If Gay Marriage is So Popular...
... why didn't the President endorse it in his State of the Union address?
More than that, he didn't even mention his ongoing efforts to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act.
Gay marriage activists want to tell us that gay marriage is popular, and that DOMA is unpopular.
What does the President know that gay marriage activists don't want to admit?
MARRIAGE ALERT: Thank Governor Christie for Standing Up for Marriage!
Dear Marriage Supporter,
Good news from Governor Christie speaking in Bridgewater Tuesday morning!
Asked about the same-sex marriage bill that he had promised two years ago to give "a big red veto," Governor Christie told reporters his answer had not changed:
This issue that our state is exploring—whether or not to redefine hundreds of years of societal and religious traditions—should not be decided by 121 people in the State House in Trenton.
The fact is we're discussing huge change and I believe we need to approach this not only in a thoughtful way, not in a rushed way, but also in a way where we're able to get the most input that we can from the public.
So, if New Jersey is seriously looking to overturn hundreds of years of societal, legal and religious tradition, we need to give the issue the weight that it merits.
So, I think that this is not an issue that should rest solely in my hands, in the hands of the Senate President, or in the hands of the Speaker or the other 118 members of the Legislature.
Let's let the people of New Jersey decide what is right for the state.
Let's put the question of same-sex marriage on the ballot this fall, in the hands of the people, at the time where the most people will be voting, in the presidential election year...
So, my message to the Legislature—and this is simple—and I'm doing it today because today is the first day they're beginning to consider it. Let's stop treating this like a political football and let's let the people of New Jersey decide.
That way those who are in favor, those who are opposed, will have the opportunity to make their case over the next nine months to the people of New Jersey. And then, in the year when the most people will be voting, we get a decision. And the people decide whether or not they believe same-sex marriage should exist in this State or not.
I would certainly be willing to be governed by the decision of the people this State, especially in a year that the most people will be voting in the State.
And I would hope that the legislature would be willing to trust the people, the way I'm willing to trust the people.
This issue is too big and too consequential not to trust the people who will be governed ultimately by any change in law or maintenance of the current law.
Governor Christie got it exactly right: "the institution of marriage is too serious to be treated like a political football."
It's time to let the people of New Jersey have a VOTE to decide the future of marriage, and NOM applauds Governor Christie for his principled stance and commitment to veto same-sex marriage legislation pending in the legislature should it reach his desk.
But the threat isn't over.
Senate Democrats yesterday passed the same-sex marriage bill out of committee on a 8-4 party line vote, vowing to press on and send the bill to the governor's desk. Senate President Steve Sweeney accused Governor Christie of trying to squelch the legislative debate: "His announcement today was to try to put a damper on what we're trying to do. It's not happening. We're not backing down. We're not giving up."
And we can't let up, either!
Please click here to thank Governor Christie for being a man of his word and standing firm on marriage—and at the same time, send your legislators a message urging them to let the people of New Jersey vote on this important issue.
Then forward this email to three friends, asking them to join you in contacting your legislators.
Together we can stop this bill in its tracks. But only if we all work together.
Faithfully,
AP: Half-Dozen States Potentially Face Votes on Marriage This Election Cycle
With a flurry of coast-to-coast developments this week, same-sex marriage is back in the political spotlight and likely to remain there through Election Day as a half-dozen states face potentially wrenching votes on the issue.
... In all the showdown states, national advocacy groups are expected to be active on both sides. The Human Rights Campaign, for example, has promised to provide funding, strategic advice and field staff for the various campaigns supporting same-sex marriage.
On the other side, the National Organization for Marriage is vowing a multistate effort, including promises of financial support in the primaries to defeat any Republican lawmakers who support gay marriage in Washington.
Though several major national polls now show that a slight majority of Americans support same-sex marriage, National Organization for Marriage president Brian Brown predicts his side will continue its winning streak and prevail in any state referendums that are held this fall.
"There's a myth that history is on a trajectory moving toward same-sex marriage," Brown said. "There is no such momentum."
Gay Marriage Legal In New York? Not If We Work Together!
Dear Marriage Supporter,
As you know, the National Organization for Marriage fights to protect marriage in all 50 states.
But you also know that New York is critically important—more so than most others.
The same-sex marriage lobbyists have been focusing on the Empire State for a long time, pouring millions of dollars into their campaigns to permanently legalize gay marriage. Now they are focused on convincing you and your fellow citizens of the LIE that the fight is over.
That is why we have a special battle plan to protect marriage in New York in 2012, and why I am writing you today.
Our fight to repeal New York's same-sex marriage law will escalate in 2012. NOM has pledged $2 million to oppose pro-gay marriage legislators who betrayed us on marriage. We must send an emphatic message to the "business-as-usual" crowd in Albany: sell out your constituents at your own risk!
Over the years, NOM has defeated every pro-gay marriage Republican we have ever targeted. With your help, we will continue that trend in New York. We will win for New Yorkers their right to vote on a statewide referendum to uphold marriage and, I've no doubt, restore the definition of true marriage in the Empire State.
Will you help fund our 2012 campaign in New York by making one special gift to the NOM NY PAC right now?
The bottom line: 2012 will either be the year when traditional marriage makes a comeback...
...or it will be the year when the same-sex marriage lobbyists knock the doors down and begin their assault on marriage in all 50 states.
As always, the success of our campaign depends on you, Marriage Supporter.
So please, to protect marriage in New York, make one urgent financial gift today.
Thank you in advance, and God bless you.
Sincerely
Brian S. Brown
Treasurer
NOM PAC New York
P.S. We know the anti-marriage bullies will outspend us in New York. Mayor Bloomberg, Governor Cuomo and their Wall Street buddies have already raised MILLIONS of dollars for the re-election campaigns of the senators who betrayed us. They will also use much nastier tactics. But the people are on our side, so as long as we have the resources necessary to spread the truth and fight back against the smear campaigns, we will win. So please make the most generous financial gift you can afford at this time. Thanks again.
Pastor: Washington SSM Bill "Deceptive and Dangerous" on and to Religious Liberty
Pastor Joe Fuiten writes about Washington State's gay marriage bill and its misleading religious liberty protections:
A Gay Marriage Equality bill (read SB 6239) has been introduced this month in Washington State. The measure is deceptive and exceedingly dangerous. It represents a radical shift in the definition of marriage, and it would pose a serious threat to religious freedom.
…
The bill’s introduction says it would not force clergy or churches to marry gays. However, it adds to state marriage law a section dealing with discrimination. To date, there have never been discrimination provisions in the Washington Marriage Code.... A bill which describes the conditions under which a church can be sued for discrimination against gays is not about marriage equality, and it certainly does not protect religious freedom. The Gay Marriage Equality bill is a serious threat to religious freedom in Washington State. It takes aim at the heart of religious freedom.
Churches and ministers who participate in the newly defined “discrimination” against gays would be subject to lawsuits and legal penalties. If they have their way we will be bludgeoned into acceptance and submission. They want the church to accept and approve of gay marriage whether we like it or not.
Marriage Minute Video: Is There A Clear And Present Threat to Marriage in MN?
Episode 3 in Minnesota for Marriage's ongoing series in support of the November marriage amendment.
"Traditional marriage has been under assault in the state legislature and courts for several years. In the 2009-2010 legislative session, there were five bills presented to redefine marriage ... Still other legislation proposed in 2011 sought to eliminate marriage altogether."
Minnesota Appellate Court Revives Gay Marriage Lawsuit
Yet another reason why this November's marriage amendment in Minnesota is necessary and timely:
A lawsuit challenging the state's law against gay marriage was revived Monday by the Minnesota Court of Appeals.
A three-judge panel ruled that a Hennepin County district judge didn't sufficiently consider claims that the law violated the plaintiffs' due process, equal protection and freedom of association rights, and sent the case back to the district court for review.
The 2010 lawsuit challenged the Defense of Marriage Act passed in 1997, known as DOMA. The district judge's ruling relied heavily on a 1971 Minnesota Supreme Court decision that said gay marriage was prohibited by state statute.
But the appellate court said the district judge didn't properly analyze the couples' claims that their due process, equal protection and freedom of association rights were violated. -- The Associated Pres
WSJ: Constituents Calling to Protect Marriage in New Jersey
The Wall Street Journal's Metropolis blog:
Opponents of a gay marriage in New Jersey are mobilizing their supporters with a round of “robo-calls” against legislation that is set to get its first vetting Tuesday before a state senate committee.
“There’s an attempt by wealthy activists to force same sex marriage on New Jersey without a public vote. It’s urgent that you call your state senator and urge him to vote no on same sex legislation,” the call states.
Recipients are then directed to call their specific representatives in Trenton. The calls started going out about two weeks ago to about half a million people who have expressed opposition to same sex marriage in the past, according to Brian Brown, president of the National Organization for Marriage, a group lobbying against the bill.
Legislators have received more than 10,000 calls from those opposed since the same-sex marriage legislation was first announced by Democrats two weeks ago, Brown said. Many supporters are in the southern reaches of the state, along with areas with large number of African-Americans, he said.
“It’s extensive,” Brown said of the “robo-call” effort.
Automatic calls were used by both proponents and opponents of same-sex marriage when the bill was first considered in New Jersey 2009. Democrats re-introduced gay marriage legislation two weeks ago.
[Updated With Video] Gov. Christie: Trenton Shouldn't Decide Marriage, They Should Trust the People
UPDATE -- here is video:
Here is a transcript of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie's comments on Democrats pushing to redefine marriage through the legislature:
This issue that our state is exploring – whether or not to redefine hundreds of years of societal and religious traditions – should not be decided by 121 people in the State House in Trenton.
The fact is we’re discussing huge change and I believe we need to approach this not only in a thoughtful way, not in a rushed way, but also in a way where we’re able to get the most input that we can from the public.
So, if New Jersey is seriously looking to overturn hundreds of years of societal, legal and religious tradition, we need to give the issue the weight that it merits.
So, I think that this is not an issue that should rest solely in my hands, in the hands of the Senate President, or in the hands of the Speaker or the other 118 members of the Legislature.
Let’s let the people of New Jersey decide what is right for the state.
Let’s put the question of same-sex marriage on the ballot this fall, in the hands of the people, at the time where the most people will be voting, in the presidential election year.
I support giving New Jerseyans the ability to give voice to their support or their opposition to this issue.
... I would hope that the legislature would be willing to trust the people, the way I’m willing to trust the people.
This issue is too big and too consequential not to trust the people who will be governed ultimately by any change in law or maintenance of the current law.
Brian Brown to NPR: On Marriage, States Matter for Supreme Court
Our President Brian Brown interviewed by NPR as part of a segment about the endgame for the marriage debate:
... Voters in Minnesota and North Carolina will consider a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage, while lawmakers in New Hampshire — a state where same-sex marriage has been legal for two years now — are considering a repeal.
A game-changer could come in the form of a couple of decisions from the U.S. Supreme Court, which may soon rule on California's Proposition 8 ban on same-sex marriage and on a challenge to the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which binds government to only recognize marriages between a man and a woman.
Brian Brown of the National Organization for Marriage says what states do now could influence the court's decisions.
"Given that we have a Roe v. Wade-type decision, the state fights become even more important because some of the justices don't like to have the law be too far ahead of where the public is," Brown says.
But even a Supreme Court decision is unlikely to end the debate. If the justices find same-sex marriage bans to be unconstitutional, opponents say they'll just redouble their efforts to amend the U.S. Constitution.
Video: ADF's Nimocks Defends Marriage Before Washington Legislature
Austin R. Nimocks of the Alliance Defense Fund testifies at the Washington Legislature in defense of marriage.
He begins: "At a time of public emphasis on jobs it is disappointing that this body is considering legislation to make meaningless the jobs of mother and father."
He continues: "The government's interest in marriage is narrow and unique. This is why marriage is always about opposite sexes. It's never been conditioned upon a couple's ability and desire to find happiness together, their level of financial entanglement, or their actual personal dedication to each other. Marriage laws exist because children are the product of sexual relationships between men and women. And that fathers and mothers are both equally necessary for children. This is why government is in the marriage business."
Brian Brown Op-Ed: Why Ron Paul is Wrong on Marriage
Our President Brian Brown writes in the Daily Caller:
With the state primaries underway, it is more important than ever that Republican voters know this: When it comes to marriage, Ron Paul is no conservative. Never mind, for the moment, that in his nearly three-decade-long congressional career Paul has written little of legislative consequence, or that a good deal of the Paul platform could only be accomplished with serious, game-changing amendments to the Constitution. Purely from a conservative values standpoint, a Ron Paul presidency would spell disaster for marriage in the United States.
Paul is the only major GOP contender for president not to sign the National Organization for Marriage “Marriage Pledge,” a document that commits signatories, if elected, to taking specific actions to protect traditional marriage. Paul once replied “sure” when asked by an interviewer about legalizing gay marriage. Should he be elected president and an activist federal judge succeeds in redefining marriage for the entire country, Paul won’t lift a finger to protect the definition of marriage as the union of one man and one woman. While Paul famously declared on the House floor in 2004 that he opposed “federal efforts to redefine marriage as something other than a union between one man and one woman,” he has long refused to support a federal marriage amendment. Such an amendment is a last line of defense against radical judges like U.S. District Chief Judge Vaughn R. Walker, who declared in 2010 that our historic understanding of marriage is unconstitutional under the Fourteenth Amendment.
Our nation’s framers must be rolling over in their graves at the radical conclusion that the Constitution they wrote contained a right to gay marriage, yet Paul either lacks the courage of his supposedly strong convictions to correct this grievous judicial error, or he is gunning for the presidency at the cost of traditional values — you know, those pesky things most Americans still hold. Neither prospect is a good one.
NOM Commends Governor Christie For Once Again Proclaiming His Opposition to Same-Sex Marriage
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 24, 2012
Contact: Elizabeth Ray or Anath Hartmann at (703-683-5004)
"NOM supports the right of NJ voters to vote on a constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman" —Brian Brown
Trenton – The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) today praised Governor Chris Christie for once again expressing his opposition to same-sex marriage and his commitment to veto same-sex marriage legislation.
"NOM supports the right of New Jersey voters to decide this issue by voting on a constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman just as voters in 30 other states have been able to do," said Brian Brown, NOM's president. "We commend Governor Christie for his principled stance and commitment to veto same-sex marriage legislation pending in the Legislature should it reach his desk."
Christie said in a press conference that the issue of same-sex marriage was being used by legislators for political gain and said that such a "huge societal change" should only be considered in a vote of the people.
"The people of New Jersey do not support same-sex marriage and if given the chance to vote on a constitutional amendment would vote to preserve marriage as the union of one man and one woman," Brown said. "Voters in every state to consider this question have decided that traditional marriage should be protected and have rejected same-sex marriage. This is why legislative backers of gay marriage in New Jersey have already rejected putting a traditional marriage constitutional amendment on the ballot—they know they will lose."
"We urge all legislators to ask themselves if supporters of gay marriage are unwilling to let voters consider a constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of a man and a woman, is it really appropriate for legislators to impose their own views?" Brown said. "We believe that marriage, the foundational institution of society, should not be discarded under any circumstance."
To schedule an interview with Brian Brown, President of the National Organization for Marriage, please contact Elizabeth Ray, [email protected], (x130) or Anath Hartmann, [email protected], (x105) at 703-683-5004.
###
Same-Sex Michigan Couple Sue Over Adoption Ban for Unmarried Couples
Two lesbians who are raising three children filed a lawsuit Monday to overturn Michigan's ban on adoption by unmarried couples.
April DeBoer, with two adopted children, and Jayne Rowse, with one, are longtime partners and nurses who live together with the kids in suburban Detroit. But under state law, they can't adopt them as a couple, an option available only to heterosexual married couples.
... The lawsuit names Gov. Rick Snyder and Attorney General Bill Schuette as defendants.
"We have not seen the suit yet, but our job is to enforce and defend all laws as enacted by the Legislature," Schuette spokesman John Sellek said. "Any changes to a law would have to originate in the Legislature."
-
Categories
- Adoption
- Ads
- Africa
- Alerts
- Australia
- Canada
- Catholic Church
- Chick-fil-A
- Children
- Civil Unions
- Civility
- Cohabitation
- Congress
- Corporate Ethics
- Culture
- Debating Marriage
- Divorce
- DOMA
- Dump General Mills
- Dump Starbucks
- Economics
- Education
- Election 2010
- Election Watch 2012
- ENDA
- Ethics
- Europe
- Events
- Featured
- Federal
- France
- Free Speech
- Gay Voices
- GOProud
- Human Rights Campaign
- Humor
- IRS
- Law
- Let The People Vote
- Manhattan Declaration
- March for Marriage
- Marriage
- Marriage Election Watch
- Marriage Moment
- Marriage Update
- Marriage Victory
- MarriageADA
- Media
- Mexico
- Military
- Mitt Romney
- New Zealand
- News
- NOM Marriage News
- NOM on Facebook
- Offbeat
- Parenting
- Pedophilia
- Politics
- Poll
- Polling
- Polygamy
- President Obama
- Press Releases
- Pro-Life
- Prop 8
- Religious Liberty
- Research/Study
- Ruth Institute
- Same Sex Marriage
- Science
- Scotland
- SFMA
- Social Media
- South America
- SPLC
- States
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- Washington DC
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
- Statistics
- Supreme Court
- United for Marriage
- United Kingdom
- Women
- Youth
-
Archives
- June 2021
- April 2021
- December 2020
- October 2020
- September 2020
- July 2020
- May 2020
- August 2017
- November 2013
- October 2013
- September 2013
- August 2013
- July 2013
- June 2013
- May 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
