|
(Phoenix, Arizona) Arizona conservatives
saying they don't trust Republicans or Democrats to push through a constitutional
amendment banning gay marriage said Thursday they'll mount their own drive.
The Center for Arizona Policy, a coalition of
conservative organizations, said it will draft its own version of a proposed
amendment and begin collecting signatures to force the question onto the ballot.
"Marriage - the foundation of our society - is too important to
politicize," CAP President Len Munsil said in a statement.
A bill that would bar gays and lesbians from
marrying has already been proposed in the Arizona legislature, but the coalition
said that it feared the issue would be used by both Republicans and
Democrats for political purposes
"For that reason, we are announcing today that our coalition
intends to gather signatures to place a comprehensive, constitutional
marriage amendment on the 2006 ballot. We are taking this issue directly
to the people," Munsil said.
Lawmakers will take up the amendment in
this session of the legislature with the intent on putting it on the
2006 ballot. Last week Gov. Janet Napolitano dared the legislature
to call a special election this year rather than wait for the November
2006 election. (story)
In addition to the constitutional amendment the
legislature will consider a bill to bar any government-sponsored benefits to
domestic partners. (story)
The benefits ban would include both state and
local governments in Arizona. The cities of Phoenix and Tempe offer health and
dental insurance to the partners of their unmarried employees.
©365Gay.com 2005
|
