Marriage Protection Amendment Approved
by Jesse Helms, Senate Republican Press Secretary
posted May 19, 2004

NASHVILLE — House Joint Resolution 990 by Senator Jeff Miller (R-Cleveland), the Marriage Protection Amendment, received its third and final required reading on Wednesday (May 19) and the Senate then approved the measure 29-1.

The Marriage Protection Amendment would put the question to the people of Tennessee as to whether they want to amend Article XI of their state Constitution to define marriage as a contract between one man and one woman.

Senator Miller stated, “Just this Monday in Massachusetts, same-sex marriages became legal. I am positive that we will see a court challenge to our existing state statute which defines marriage as being between one man and one woman.”

Senator Miller was a Senate sponsor of the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996.

The Marriage Protection Amendment next needs two-thirds approval of each house in 2005 and/or 2006 during the 104th General Assembly. Should that occur, the people would vote on making a change to their constitution during the November 2006 election. It would require a yes vote from a majority of those voting in the governor’s race.

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Victory Fund Endorses Five Candidates for Congress

By Dave DeCicco
WASHINGTON -- Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund today announced the endorsement of a strong slate of Congressional candidates including Cathy Woolard (D), Atlanta City Council President for Georgia's 4th congressional district; Tim Carpenter (D), Wisconsin State Senator for Wisconsin's 4th; and Jim Stork (D), former Wilton Manors (FL) Mayor for Florida's 22nd. Incumbent Tammy Baldwin is again endorsed and 23-year House member Barney Frank for the first time applied for endorsement and with Victory Fund support will take on an anti-gay opponent born out of the marriage equality debate brewing in Massachusetts.

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Holden wants gay marriage vote in August
By David A. Lieb
Associated Press

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Gov. Bob Holden attempted Wednesday to set an Aug. 3 statewide election on a proposed constitutional amendment banning gay marriage in Missouri.

But the secretary of state's office, which oversees elections, was weighing whether Holden's proclamation can be enforced.

The Legislature passed the proposed constitutional amendment last Friday in the closing minutes of its annual session. The constitution automatically sets elections for proposed amendments in November, unless the governor schedules a special election earlier.

In this case, the presiding officers of the House and Senate are not expected to sign and send the gay marriage amendment to Republican Secretary of State Matt Blunt's office until May 28. That would be three days later than the deadline by which Blunt's office must notify local election authorities of an items to appear on the August ballot.