On February 23, 2011, President Barack Obama instructed his U.S. Attorney General, Eric Holder, to direct the U.S. Department of Justice to cease defending the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in court. To learn more about this outrageous act by President Obama, visit Liberty Counsel, author of the West Virginia Marriage Protection Amendment.
This federal statute signed into law by President Bill Clinton on September 21, 1996, defined marriage as a legal union between one man and one woman. Under the federal DOMA law, no state (or other political subdivision within the United States) would be required to recognize as marriage a same-sex relationship considered as marriage in another state.
The Marriage Protection Amendment has been reintroduced on January 11, 2012 during the 2nd Session of the 80th Legislature for the seventh consecutive year. SJR-2 and HJR-18
Passage of the Marriage Protection Amendment is especially critical during this session since Delegate John Doyle (D-Jefferson), is on record of his intentions to introduce a marriage amendment allowing for ‘civil unions’ and ‘same-sex benefits’ traditionally reserved for marriage between ‘one man and one woman’. Additionally, on February 22, 2010, the West Virginia Senate introduced SJR-14. The language contained in this amendment is but one sentence and would allow for these type of homosexual counterfeit relationships, protecting marriage in name only.
We will be monitoring this legislation or any language similar to it in case it is introduced again during this session.
The reason consistently given over these many years by the majority leadership for their actions are two-fold as follows:
1.) West Virginia already has a Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) law, therefore, the state statute is sufficient to protect the institution of marriage from homosexual activists attempt to redefine it.
2.) The WV Supreme Court has already issued a decision upholding a legal challenge to West Virginia’s DOMA law.
Read the legal opinion written by Steve M. Crampton, a renowned constitutional attorney and Vice President of Legal Affairs and General Counsel of Liberty Counsel, to learn the fallacy of both of these arguments.
It is our hope the majority party leadership will direct the Chairs in both House Constitutional Revision Committee and House Judiciary Committee to take up the marriage amendment and not continue to allow the the Marriage Protection Amendment to stay bottled up in either of these committees as was the case during the 2010 legislative session. HJR-5 2/23/10 RC#63 (68-30)
After seven long years and given the threat posed to traditional marriage, the representatives for the citizens of West Virginia deserve a full floor vote on this critical public policy issue.
The latest action by President Obama ordering U.S. Attorney General, Eric Holder, and the Department of Justice to no longer defend DOMA removes the very foundation States relied upon as a buckler for instituting their DOMA laws. This should sound the alarm and remove any remaining doubt to members of the WV Legislature on the most urgent need to pass the Marriage Protection Amendment immediately!
The West Virginia Constitution belongs to the people of West Virginia and legislators are privileged to serve their constituents in this entrusted position and shoud represent, protect and respect their wishes. As such, there is no higher priority or demonstration of this obligation and responsibility than by allowing their constituents the right to vote on the definition of marriage.
Below are things you can do to help promote the Marriage Protection Amendment during the 2nd Session of the 80th Legislature -2012
• Pray for wisdom and courage for the members of the West Virginia Legislature to pass the Marriage Protection Amendment.
• Find your legislator and urge their support for the Marriage Protection Amendment. Tell them you will be watching this issue very closely and their support or opposition to this marriage amendment will be pivotal on your decision for their candidacy in the next election cycle.
• Call your legislators (1-877-565-3447) today and tell them support passage of the Marriage Protection Amendment to allow you to vote at the ballot box on this critical issue.
• Print copy and distribute the Marriage Protection Amendment Petition to your churches, friends, family and co-workers; then return the petition to help assist, communicate and promote this critical effort to others.
• Tell your friends, family, and co-workers about ProtectWVMarriage.com
• Give to the ongoing efforts to protect the definition of marriage and to prevent counterfeit relationships and the decline of the traditional family.
