Civil & Human Rights

Why Marriage Matters Arizona campaign launched

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Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

WMMAWhy Marriage Matters Arizona kicked off its educational campaign today in Phoenix and Tucson, with an eye towards building a broad-based coalition of faith community, business community, and nonpartisan political support for the fundamental right of freedom to marry for everyone without invidious state-sanctioned discrimination against any individual based upon his or her sex or gender. This coalition will support a ballot initiative for freedom to marry in 2016. Campaign launches to move marriage forward in Arizona:

PHOENIX AND TUCSON, Ariz. – In an effort to remove
discrimination from Arizona’s Constitution and win the freedom to marry
for all couples in the state, Equality Arizona, the American Civil
Liberties Union of Arizona, the Human Rights Campaign and Freedom to
Marry have launched a campaign called Why Marriage Matters Arizona.

Why Marriage Matters Arizona is a grassroots public
education campaign to build support for the freedom to marry in Arizona.
The campaign will open a dialogue with Arizonans about why marriage is
important to same-sex couples and their families and is consistent with
the values of liberty and freedom.

“Everyone should have the freedom to marry the person they love in
the state that they call home, and that includes same-sex couples in
Arizona,” said Rebecca Wininger, president of Equality Arizona. “The
national landscape for marriage is shifting rapidly. It’s time to get
the conversation started here in Arizona.”

Hawaii special session in October to approve same-sex marriage

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Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

EqualThe state of Hawaii may be the next state to authorize same sex-sex marriages — if the New Mexico Supreme Court doesn't beat them to it. the Washington Post reports, Hawaii likely next to legalize same-sex marriage:

Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie (D) has called the state legislature
back into special session to vote on legalizing same-sex marriage, a
step that likely means he’s corralled the necessary votes to pass a
bill.

Democrats have overwhelming majorities in both the state House and
Senate, but some Democratic legislators weren’t on board with a same-sex
marriage bill. Party leaders met in late August to count the votes;
Abercrombie said he would call a special session if legislators could
agree on language that would withstand a court challenge.

“The merits of holding a special session include the opportunity for
the Legislature to focus squarely on this important issue, without
having to divert attention to the hundreds of other bills introduced
during a regular session,” Abercrombie said in a statement.

(Update) Marriage Equality breaks out in New Mexico – State Supreme Court to decide

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Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

EqualThe New Mexico Supreme Court agreed Friday to decide once and for all
whether same-sex marriage should be legal statewide after several
counties recently began issuing marriage licenses to gay and lesbian
couples, prompting a legal challenge. NM high court to hear gay marriage case next month:

The five-member state Supreme Court issued an order setting an Oct. 23 hearing in a case that finally could decide whether marriage licenses can be issued to gay and lesbian couples.

The
court took the step a day after New Mexico's 33 counties and county
clerks statewide filed a petition asking justices to determine whether a
state district judge in Albuquerque was correct last week in declaring
it's unconstitutional to deny marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

More
than 900 marriage licenses have been issued in New Mexico since Aug.
21, when the Dona Ana County clerk decided independently that gay
marriage was allowed. Seven other counties have followed in granting
licenses to same-sex couples or planning to do so, several in response
to court orders.

"This is excellent news because county clerks will now know what the law is, and they'll know how to not just administer their offices but how to serve their constituents," said Daniel Ivey-Soto, a lawyer for clerks and a Democratic state senator from Albuquerque.

The quick hearing "indicates the Supreme Court is interested in clarifying the law," he said.

The
high court could issue a decision immediately after hearing arguments
from lawyers in the case or it could take longer to make a ruling.

The justices asked parties in the case to submit written arguments by Sept. 23.