Raleigh, NC: The North Carolina Senate on Tuesday passed a measure that will put before voters a constitutional amendment defining marriage. The amendment will go on the primary ballot in May of 2012. This is about democracy – letting North Carolina citizens, not judges, set public policy. There are thousands of North Carolinians, both for and against the marriage amendment, who want a chance to vote on it.
We have two choices: trust the state’s 6 million voters to define marriage, or let activist judges define it. Thirty other state legislatures have trusted their voters to make the decision North Carolinians will make in May. Nothing in this bill prohibits businesses from offereing or continuing to offer benefits to same-sex partners of employees. There is no data that supports the notion that a marriage amendment will hinder job creation and private sector growth. In fact, the Human Rights Campaign rates American Fortune 500 companies based on their policies toward gay employees, and consistently give 100 percent ratings to companies headquartered in states with the strongest marriage amendments. Why would a marriage amendment hurt business, but a marriage statute not?