Date: Thu, 8 Feb 1996 10:13:41 -0700 (MST) From: Bob Summersgill Subject: (USA, NM) New Mexico Anti-Marriage Resolution Update Feb. 7 (fwd) New Mexico Anti-Marriage Resolution to Amend the Constitution * SJR 10 (to prohibit the religious or civil same sex marriage ceremonies in New Mexico, and invalidate same-sex marriages from other states.) SJR 10 is leaving the Senate Rules Committee, as germane, with no recommendation. It will take a few days or more to be scheduled in the Senate Judiciary Committee. (Basically Rules did not want to deal with it and I've been told this is good.) It will take a few days at least to get scheduled into Senate Judiciary. We need people to call or write Senate Judiciary Here are the talking points: * SJR 10 would violate the United State's and New Mexico's equal protection clauses by singling out a minority group (gays and lesbians) for less favorable governmental treatment. * SJR 10 would "fence out" an identifiable minority from the benefits of citizenship. According to the Supreme Court of the United States, it would be subject to the most searching constitutional review. * SJR 10 would put the rights of a minority to the vote of the majority. The very nature of constitutions protect minorities from the tyranny of the majority. * SJR 10 would violate The Equal Rights Amendment of the NM Constitution which guarantees that no public benefit shall be granted or withheld based solely on the sex of the citizen. * SJR 10 violates the separation of church and state, and freedom of religious expression and religion. It would disallow all New Mexico religious institutions from performing the same sex marriage and commitment ceremonies they now perform. This would those Baptist, Buddhist, Charismatic, Ecumenical Catholic, Episcopalian, Jewish, Lutheran, Metropolitan Community, Presbyterian, Quaker and Unitarian congregations that now perform marriage and commitment ceremonies for their gay and lesbian congregants. * SJR 10 would violate the "inherent rights" clause of New Mexico's Constitution which guarantees a broad range of personal liberties, including privacy. * SJR 10 would deny only gays and lesbians the legality of their marriages breaching the full faith and credit clause of the New Mexico and U.S. Constitutions. * SJR 10 is both constitutionally and fiscally irresponsible. If passed, SJR 10 would surely be challenged as unconstitutional, either before or after being sent to voters. The state would be tied up for years in extremely costly, and unsuccessful, litigation. Call or write Senate Judiciary: 505-986-4300 Sen. State Capitol Santa Fe, NM 87503 Janice Paster, Chair (D) Gary Don Reagan (D) Joseph Carraro (R) Carlos Cisneros (D) Michael Sanchez (D) Duncan Scott (R) Elizabeth Stefanics (D) Leonard Tsosie (D) Skip Vernon (R) For more information contact, The Coalition for Gay and Lesbian Rights in New Mexico--Linda Siegle 1-800-571-3563. ******************************************************************************* To send a message to the entire list "marriage", email marriage@abacus.oxy.edu To unsubscribe, send a message 'unsubscribe marriage' to MAJORDOMO@abacus.oxy.edu. To subscribe, send a message 'subscribe marriage' to MAJORDOMO@abacus.oxy.edu. *******************************************************************************