News from the Senate Majority
Alaska State Legislature

Wendy Lindskoog, Senate Majority Press Secretary
State Capitol
Juneau, AK 99801-1182
Phone: 907/465-4582
http://www.akrepublicans.org
Broadcast Actualities: 800/478-6540

Constitutional Amendment Defining Marriage Introduced in Senate

For Immediate Release: March 2,1998 Contact: Mike Pauley, Assistant to Senator Loren Leman, at (907) 465-3841.

Juneau – In response to last week’s court decision in Brause and Dugan v. State of Alaska, the Senate Health, Education, and Social Services (HESS) Committee today introduced a proposed constitutional amendment to define marriage as a union between one man and one woman.

"The court ignored several millennia of legal traditions and public opinion when it struck down Alaska’s 1996 law defining marriage as a union between one man and one woman," stated Senator Loren Leman (R-Anchorage), who serves as Vice Chairman of the Senate HESS Committee. "Voters should have a chance to vote on a constitutional amendment, to restore the definition of marriage understood and supported by a strong majority of Alaskans."

Senate Joint Resolution 42 proposes to add a new Section 15 to Article XII of the state constitution:

"Each marriage contract in this State may be entered into only by one man and one woman. The legislature may, by law, enact additional requirements relating to marriage."

Senator Leman stated that the amendment places the decision in the hands of voters, where it belongs: "It’s not appropriate to have one unelected and unaccountable judge making social policy for the whole state," Leman said. "If ‘majority rule’ means anything, then the people and their elected representatives have a right to be heard on this important issue."

SJR 42 has been referred to the Senate Judiciary and Senate Finance committees for consideration.

# # #

Broadcast Note: radio actualities available at 800/478-6540.
= Loren Leman, 91 K
= Robin Taylor, 110 K