2008 State Ballot Initiatives: February 2008 Archives
For the past few months, gay folks in Indiana have been on the edge of their seats. The news media across the state have been reporting one week that an anti-gay constitutional amendment has so much support it has a chance of getting on the November 2008 ballot, and then the next week reporting that it’s highly unlikely the amendment will be up for a vote.
SJR-7, the proposed anti-gay legislation, would ban marriage for gay and lesbian couples and was originally introduced in 2005. When SJR-7 was up for a Senate vote last month, prominent bloggers called the marriage ban dead-on-arrival, and members of the House were quoted in mainstream press as saying that marriage for gay couples was not a relevant issue this year.
SJR-7 was approved by the Republican-controlled Senate this January, but the House needs to approve the anti-marriage ban before it comes up for a popular vote. House Rules Committee Chair Rep. Scott Peleath (D) decided not to hear the Senate version of the proposal. Gay and mainstream news articles have picked up Peleath’s comments for weeks, and stories that assured folks the anti-gay legislation is unlikely to move forward have been published since the beginning of the year.
However, yesterday the Associated Press released a story about a petition the majority of House members have signed in support of the anti-gay amendment. With support like this, it is still possible that the marriage ban could be on the November 2008 ballot. Anti-gay ballot initiatives have been used in the past, most notably in the last presidential election year, as a wedge issue. In Indiana, a red state, this is especially important in 2008. If the bill does not pass this year, anti-gay activists will have to start the process over and the earliest it would be on the ballot would be 2012, another presidential election year.
Be sure to check back here at GLAAD’s Newsroom ’08 for the latest on media coverage of the status of Indiana’s ever-changing proposed marriage ban and other ballot issues around the country.
Paul Karr is the Director of Media Field Strategy
SJR-7, the proposed anti-gay legislation, would ban marriage for gay and lesbian couples and was originally introduced in 2005. When SJR-7 was up for a Senate vote last month, prominent bloggers called the marriage ban dead-on-arrival, and members of the House were quoted in mainstream press as saying that marriage for gay couples was not a relevant issue this year.
SJR-7 was approved by the Republican-controlled Senate this January, but the House needs to approve the anti-marriage ban before it comes up for a popular vote. House Rules Committee Chair Rep. Scott Peleath (D) decided not to hear the Senate version of the proposal. Gay and mainstream news articles have picked up Peleath’s comments for weeks, and stories that assured folks the anti-gay legislation is unlikely to move forward have been published since the beginning of the year.
However, yesterday the Associated Press released a story about a petition the majority of House members have signed in support of the anti-gay amendment. With support like this, it is still possible that the marriage ban could be on the November 2008 ballot. Anti-gay ballot initiatives have been used in the past, most notably in the last presidential election year, as a wedge issue. In Indiana, a red state, this is especially important in 2008. If the bill does not pass this year, anti-gay activists will have to start the process over and the earliest it would be on the ballot would be 2012, another presidential election year.
Be sure to check back here at GLAAD’s Newsroom ’08 for the latest on media coverage of the status of Indiana’s ever-changing proposed marriage ban and other ballot issues around the country.
Paul Karr is the Director of Media Field Strategy
Last week, Arizona’s legislative leadership submitted a bill that would once-again ask Arizona voters to decide on an anti-gay constitutional amendment – something voters there rejected in 2006. Now, the conversation about this legislation and the legislation that preceded it seems to taking center stage both locally and nationally.
The new legislation has some Arizona politicians nervous, and has brought new attention to a candidate currently running for Congress. In an article in The Arizona Daily Star, Senate President Tim Bee, who is also a candidate for Congress in 2008, avoided questions asked by the reporter, and tried to downplay the importance of this legislation. Meanwhile, in another part of Arizona, Steve May, an openly gay former Republican state legislator and a leader in the effort to defeat the anti-gay constitutional amendment in 2006, has announced his intention to seek his party’s nomination for Congress in an open seat.
The presence of the new legislation also figures into the presidential race, since Senator John McCain (R-AZ) is the likely Republican nominee for president. Throughout the primary season, his conservative credentials have been called into question. McCain voted against the anti-gay federal marriage amendment, but supported the 2006 effort to amend Arizona’s state constitution. In 2008, McCain will be prominent in a year when his home state might be the epicenter of conversations about LGBT issues throughout election 2008.
The media attention to LGBT-related issues – from the anti-gay constitutional amendment to the possibility of an openly gay Republican congressional candidate – will be intense in Arizona this year. Check back here for updates on Arizona and other local races and ballot measures.
Paul Karr is the Director of Media Field Strategy
The new legislation has some Arizona politicians nervous, and has brought new attention to a candidate currently running for Congress. In an article in The Arizona Daily Star, Senate President Tim Bee, who is also a candidate for Congress in 2008, avoided questions asked by the reporter, and tried to downplay the importance of this legislation. Meanwhile, in another part of Arizona, Steve May, an openly gay former Republican state legislator and a leader in the effort to defeat the anti-gay constitutional amendment in 2006, has announced his intention to seek his party’s nomination for Congress in an open seat.
The presence of the new legislation also figures into the presidential race, since Senator John McCain (R-AZ) is the likely Republican nominee for president. Throughout the primary season, his conservative credentials have been called into question. McCain voted against the anti-gay federal marriage amendment, but supported the 2006 effort to amend Arizona’s state constitution. In 2008, McCain will be prominent in a year when his home state might be the epicenter of conversations about LGBT issues throughout election 2008.
The media attention to LGBT-related issues – from the anti-gay constitutional amendment to the possibility of an openly gay Republican congressional candidate – will be intense in Arizona this year. Check back here for updates on Arizona and other local races and ballot measures.
Paul Karr is the Director of Media Field Strategy
In 2006, Arizona voters made history, becoming the first state to defeat an anti-gay amendment to their state constitution. This happened in large part due to the successful media and public education efforts of a coalition of LGBT and progressive groups, who successfully used advertising and media campaigns to educate voters about the necessity of domestic partnership legal protections for families of all kinds in the state.
This year, the leadership in both the Arizona House of Representatives and Senate have introduced a scaled back version of that same proposed amendment. This time, the amendment is solely focused on gay and lesbian partners - the updated amendment defines marriage in the constitution in a way that excludes gay and lesbian couples.
As the election approaches, GLAAD will be keeping an eye on media coverage of this continued debate, and working to support groups within Arizona to ensure that media coverage of this electoral conversation focuses on the direct impact such a measure will have on loving, committed couples. We’ll be working to get the stories of Arizona residents into the media to get conversations going about the real life effects the proposal could have on members of the LGBT community in the state.
Paul Karr is the Director of Media Field Strategy
This year, the leadership in both the Arizona House of Representatives and Senate have introduced a scaled back version of that same proposed amendment. This time, the amendment is solely focused on gay and lesbian partners - the updated amendment defines marriage in the constitution in a way that excludes gay and lesbian couples.
As the election approaches, GLAAD will be keeping an eye on media coverage of this continued debate, and working to support groups within Arizona to ensure that media coverage of this electoral conversation focuses on the direct impact such a measure will have on loving, committed couples. We’ll be working to get the stories of Arizona residents into the media to get conversations going about the real life effects the proposal could have on members of the LGBT community in the state.
Paul Karr is the Director of Media Field Strategy
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