MASS. SENATE ASKS COURT: ARE CIVIL UNIONS ENOUGH? From the Washington Post

The Massachusetts state Senate voted Wednesday to ask the state's highest court whether a bill authorizing civil unions would meet the court's recent ruling that Massachusetts cannot prohibit gay marriages. ...

Senate leaders said it is unclear when the court will reply to their request. The court took several months longer than expected to make its initial ruling on gay marriage last month. ...

The legislature will reconvene in early January, and a constitutional convention is scheduled for Feb. 11, at which time lawmakers are scheduled to vote on an amendment that would define marriage as between a man and a woman and would also ban civil unions.

Finneran has said the amendment would be unlikely to pass unless the language outlawing civil unions is dropped.

To be placed on the ballot, under Massachusetts law, a constitutional amendment must pass in two consecutive legislative sessions, meaning that the earliest voters could consider it would be November 2006. Romney has said he favors the amendment. A series of public opinion polls since the court decision have shown that a majority of state residents favor legalizing gay unions.

A previous attempt to initiate a amendment that would bar same-sex marriage was derailed in July 2002, when then-Senate president Thomas F. Birmingham (D) led an effort to adjourn the constitutional convention without a vote.

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posted by Eve at 12:10 PM | link

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