Black Legislators Stall Marriage Amendment in Georgia

[kayell]

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/03/politics/03GEOR.html

Georgia's headlong rush to block gay marriages through a constitutional amendment has been stalled, for the moment, by an unlikely group of legislators: black members of the House of Representatives, many of them church deacons and ministers who already support the state's laws banning same-sex marriage.

Last week, they provided 39 of 50 no votes and abstentions that helped the measure fall 3 votes short of the 120 needed for passage.

The bill, which requires a two-thirds majority to appear on the ballot this November, may be reintroduced into the Democratic-controlled House as early as Thursday. The measure has already passed the Senate, which is dominated by Republicans, despite no votes from all 10 black members.

"In my 30 years in the legislature, I don't think I've seen a vote so close and so impassioned," said Representative Calvin Smyre, chairman of the House Rules Committee, who is black.

The battle over gay marriage here has put African-American lawmakers in a difficult position with voters and placed them in stark contrast to their white Democratic colleagues, most of whom have joined Republicans in calling for a constitutional bulwark against same-sex marriage.

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[dusty64]

1. Good for them.

We ALL need to stand together against bigotry, no matter who its directed at.

[aquart]

2. Uh, they support the legislative ban. You can't say they ain't bigots.

It's amending their constitution that's embarrassing them.

[mobuto]

3. The difference is night and day

Amending a state constitution is far more serious than passing a law. Laws can be repealed.

One day, the SCOTUS will strike down all these laws for violating the Equal Protection Clause, but that day isn't near.