Prop. 102 to define man-woman union
Elizabeth Taggart
Arizona voters will decide once again on whether or not to amend the Arizona Constitution to ban gay marriage when voting on Proposition 102 this fall.Although Arizona Revised Statute 25-101, Section C states “Marriage between persons of the same sex is void and prohibited,” the state senate passed a measure sending a bill to amend the constitution to the fall ballot.
Proposition 102 would amend the state constitution to provide that only the union of one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in the Grand Canyon state.
The bill had trouble passing in the house and was initially narrowly voted down in the senate, but was passed after a re-vote on July 27.
Arizona became the fi rst state to defeat a ballot initiative banning gay marriage when voters failed to pass a similar proposition, Proposition 107, in 2006.
Nearly 1.5 million Arizonans went to the polls in November of 2006 with 48.2 percent voting for it, while 51.2 percent voted against the measure.
However, that proposition would have also made it illegal for the government to offer benefi ts to domestic partners, samesex or not.
The current resolution is one of ten ballot measures voters will decide in the fall election and is the only referendum on the ballot from lawmakers.
The bill was sponsored by Senate president Tim Bee and House Speaker Jim Weiers, both republicans.
Gov. Janet Napolitano has said that she is against the proposition because there is already a statute against gay marriage in Arizona.
“Personally, I’m going to oppose it,” Napolitano said during a July interview with the Arizona Republic.
“We already have a statute that defines marriage. The courts have already said the statute is constitutional.”
Voting for Proposition 102 will take
place on Election Day on Nov. 4.
