Louisiana gay marriage ban UNCONSTITUTIONAL, tossed!

[Bluebear]

BATON ROUGE, La. - A state judge Tuesday threw out a Louisiana constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, less than three weeks after it was overwhelmingly approved by the voters.

District Judge William Morvant said the amendment was flawed as drawn up by the Legislature because it had more than one purpose: banning not only gay marriage but also civil unions.

Michael Johnson (news - web sites), an attorney for supporters of the amendment, said he will appeal the ruling.

A gay rights group challenged the amendment on several grounds, arguing among other things that combining the question of gay marriage and the issue of civil unions in one ballot question violated state law.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20041005/ap_on_re_us/louisiana_gay_marriage

[BlueJazz]

1. You can always tell the States with the Brightest People......

...They tend to come up with the most intelligent solutions to the problems faced by society.

[ismnotwasm]

2. whoo hoo!

I love it when those stupid laws get tossed. (I know, they'll be back with something else)

[amazona]

3. "Overwhelmingly approved"

Yeah, after they didn't deliver voting machines in time to Orleans Parish and anyway a lot of people weren't even back yet from Hurricane Ivan evacuations to vote....

This needed to be struck down, it was a farce.

[0rganism]

7. Don't underestimate popular support for a gay marriage ban

A lot of people, including some core Democratic voting blocks, are staunchly against gay marriage and will do anything to prevent it, even if that means voting against civil unions in the process.

This will be used by the rightwing as an example of the "liberal courts" meddling with the will of the people, count on it.

[Rockholm]

4. Good News!

[tedzbear]

5. Right on Judge Morvant!

Another one of *'s hated activist judges. Muhahahahaha!

[GiovanniC]

6. I'm Glad To See It Tossed...

But how can a constitutional amendment be unconstitutional?