Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
More victories as a marriage bill clears hurdles in Minnesota. And there's progress in neighboring
states as well. But soon, constitutional amendments in 30 states could delay any further success
for years to come.
At the American Foundation for Equal Rights, I'm Matt Baume. Welcome to Marriage News Watch
for May 13, 2013.
Marriage equality is moving fast in Minnesota. By the time you watch this, the Senate may
already have voted on a bill. It passed the House late last week, and passage in the Senate
appears likely. From there, it goes to Governor Mark Dayton, who has pledged to sign it. This
would bring the total number of states approving the freedom to marry up to 12, an increase
of three in just the last month.
Governor Pat Quinn of Illinois is also pushing hard for a vote on a marrage bill. A February
poll showed 50 percent support for marriage in Illinois, with just 29 percent opposed.
Marriage could be on the ballot this year in Ohio, with fundraising and signature-gathering
well underway. And in Pennsylvania, a new Franklin and Marshall poll shows support for
marriage at 54 percent to 41 percent.
Across the country in Nevada, a committee heard testimony on a marriage equality bill
last week. but that bill still faces numerous votes and hearings, and the soonest it could
appear on the ballot is 2016.
At this point, we've picked up several states in a very short amount of time, but this state-by-state
approach could soon slow our momentum. Nevada isn't the only state with a lengthy timeline
and a lot of work before we gain the freedom to marry. Thirty states have constitutional
amendments banning marriage. Overturning those amendments is going to be a lot harder and
slower than passing bills in legislatures or even at the ballot box.
It's going to take a lot of time, hard work and money. But there's one thing that could
accelerate the process: a Supreme Court ruling that marriage is a fundamental constitutional
right. A federal ruling could either overturn all of those state bans at once; or it could
establish a heightened level of scrutiny that would make the bans easier to challenge.
That's why AFER's case to overturn Prop 8 before the US Supreme Court is so important.
And we're closer than ever to a resolution on that case. Subscribe here on YouTube and
at AFER.org for breaking news alerts and to find out how you can help support the cause
of equality for all.
At the American Foundation for Equal Rights, I'm Matt Baume. We'll see you next week.