COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio Supreme Court has dismissed a legal challenge to a proposed constitutional amendment that would that would repeal the state’s existing ban on same-sex marriage.
The proposed amendment, filed by the Freedom to Marry coalition, would modify the Ohio Constitution to define marriage as “a union of two consenting adults, regardless of gender.” The measure would also allow churches to refuse to perform or honor a same-sex marriage.
Opponents of the measure, the Ohio Campaign to Protect Marriage, had sought to keep the repeal effort off the ballot, and claimed that Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine shouldn’t have verified the proposed amendment’s summary.
The group claimed that the summary was “not a fair and truthful statement of the proposed constitutional amendment.”
In late April, DeWine filed a motion arguing that the Ohio Supreme Court lacked jurisdiction over the legal challenge by opponents of the same sex marriage measure.
“When somebody wants to put something on the ballot, it’s not a question of whether Mike Dewine likes it or doesn’t like it,” he told WSKU-TV.
“The question is: Is it a concise and accurate representation of what that ballot initiative would do. And our lawyers looked at it and said, ‘Yes it was,’” DeWine said.
With the court’s ruling this week, the measure has been cleared to appear on the statewide ballot.
The Freedom to Marry coalition must now gather 385,253 valid signatures of registered Ohio voters to put the amendment to a statewide vote in 2013.
In 2004, Ohio voters overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman.
Filed under: Ohio
Florida teen fighting criminal charges related to same-sex relationship
Harvey: Gays deserve to be fired for displaying their lifestyles to everyone
Anti-gay marriage activist commits suicide on alter at Notre Dame cathedral
Texas judge enforces ‘morality clause’ to split up lesbian couple
Candidate for Va. Lt. Governor warns same-sex marriage leads to bestiality
ACLU, attorney condemn prosecution of teen who had sex with minor girlfriend
Sex and the teenage girl: The Kaitlyn Hunt tragedy
Transgender student skips graduation rather than wear female gown
UPDATED: Police call fatal New York City shooting an anti-gay hate crime
Attorney implies suspect’s child sexual abuse was a factor NYC killing
Iowa anti-gay activist explains his opposition to gay marriage: ‘It’s awful’
Details emerge in case against teen accused of lewd behavior with girlfriend
Lesbian teen charged in relationship with underage girlfriend rejects plea deal
BREAKING: French president signs marriage equality bill into law
Everything is bigger in Texas – even the homophobia
Well, let’s get signing then?
I have heard that as a state, Ohio is kind of like the Florida of the Great Lakes region,where anything gay is concerned: rabidly homophobic and exclusionary.
When will these bigots finally realise that know matter what they say or do people who stand for equality and fairness always win in the end.
When will people who this does not affect learn to keep their opinions to themselves. What joy can they possibly get from denying anyone their happiness. It doesn’t prevent them from being happy. If so,they would keep their mouths closed. It’s unbelieable how some people like to deny others their rights when he it does not have anything to do with them. You cannot save the world, so quit trying.