Local
Next marriage amendment drive on hold

By Christine Williams
Posted: 7/27/2007

A change in the current political landscape of Massachusetts will be required for a future marriage amendment initiative to be successful, said Kris Mineau, president of the Massachusetts Family Institute and spokesman for VoteOnMarriage.org.

For this reason, VoteOnMarriage.org, the organization behind the ballot initiative that sought to restore the definition of marriage to the union of one man and one woman, announced July 23 that it would not immediately pursue another petition drive. Instead, VoteOnMarriage.org will wait until 2009, hoping for a shakeup of the state’s political leadership in the 2008 elections.

Same-sex marriage proponents widely attributed the defeat of the marriage amendment June 14 to the lobbying efforts of Sen. President Therese Murray, House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi and Gov. Patrick.

Under intense political pressure, 11 legislators who had previously indicated their support for the amendment switched their votes, leading to its defeat 151 to 45 ? just 5 votes shy of the 50 votes necessary for the amendment to appear on the 2008 ballot.

Arline Isaacson, co-chair of the Massachusetts Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus, said of the trio, “If it wasn’t for them, we never could have gotten this.”

Mineau told The Pilot July 24