Obstacles to a Marriage Amendment

For the last five years, bills have been introduced in the North Carolina General Assembly seeking to get a Marriage Amendment on the ballot so the people of North Carolina can vote on it. These bills have received broad bipartisan support, garnering bill sponsorship from a majority of members of the North Carolina House and about a third of the members of the North Carolina Senate. However, the leadership in the House and Senate have not allowed lawmakers or the people an opportunity to vote on these bills. They have kept them buried in committees where they have no chance of receiving a vote.
     
Legislators who oppose a Marriage Amendment say our current law is sufficient to protect the definition of marriage without amending the Constitution. That excuse is just plain wrong. They ignore what has happened in California, Massachusetts, and Connecticut, where judges have overturned statutes protecting traditional marriage. An activist court in North Carolina could overturn North Carolina’s marriage laws, using our own Constitution to do it.

An additional obstacle to protecting marriage in our State Constitution is the political posturing of legislative leaders. They reluctantly avoid issues that might be controversial. Homosexual activists have applauded and even given awards to legislative leaders who have refused to allow a vote on the Marriage Amendment. The courage of our leaders is what is absolutely essential to protect the traditional family in North Carolina from being redefined. Protecting marriage is a non-partisan issue.

NC4Marriage seeks to convince state political leaders that protecting marriage is a serious matter that can no longer be put off. The General Assembly must pass a bill so that the people of our State can have the opportunity to vote on a Marriage Protection Amendment to our Constitution.