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Lawmakers Seek State Constitutional Amendment To Protect Marriage Equality
Marchers carry a rainbow flag in the L.A. Pride Parade on June 8, 2014 in West Hollywood.
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Topline:
Two California lawmakers have introduced a measure that would amend the state constitution to enshrine marriage equality.
What would the measure do? The measure, from State Sen. Scott Wiener of San Francisco and Silicon Valley Assemblymember Evan Low, would repeal Proposition 8, which banned same sex marriage in the state. That law was later repealed in 2013, but the constitutional amendment is still on the books.
Today we’re introducing a constitutional amendment to repeal Prop 8 & protect marriage equality in CA’s Constitution.
— Senator Scott Wiener (@Scott_Wiener) February 14, 2023
We’ll put it on Nov 24 ballot.
Prop 8 was a hateful attack on LGBTQ people & remains a scar on our Constitution. Given the Supreme Court’s direction, it’s time.
Why now? Many LGBTQ+ activists are concerned that the U.S. Supreme Court could eventually do away with protections for same sex couples. "No one should rest easy believing that LGBTQ civil rights are safe in this country or in California," said Samuel Garret-Pate with Equality California. "We've seen already that the U.S. Supreme Court is willing to overturn decades of precedent."
What's next? If approved in the state legislature by a two-thirds vote, the measure to amend the state constitution will be on the ballot next November.
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