Christian Action League
RALEIGH – The new Republican leadership in the General Assembly this year has promised passage of legislation that would allow Tar Heel voters the opportunity to vote on protecting the definition of marriage in the State’s Constitution, a protection that is necessitated by the decisions of judges in other states that have redefined marriage to include same-sex unions. The Constitutional Amendment would clarify that marriage is between one man and one woman and would prevent judicial redefinition of marriage.
“The Marriage Protection Amendment is important to the House and Senate leadership. Moreover, they know how important it is to the people of North Carolina,” said the Rev. Mark Creech, executive director of the Christian Action League. The new leadership offers the first promise of passage of marriage protections in seven years, since the General Assembly was previously controlled by Democrat leadership who kept the bills from being heard and bottled up in committee.
Media reports released Thursday said lawmakers hope to adjourn by June 17 if the budget is approved. The Rev. Creech said Senate and House leaders have indicated they plan to take up several Constitutional Amendments, including the Marriage Protection Amendment, in a special session specifically for Constitutional Amendments. “These amendments are too important to the leadership to let them get lost in the madness that accompanies the passage of a state budget. They want to focus on these amendments in a special session.”
“The Christian Action League has been in close contact with the leadership about this issue, and we’ll keep Christians across the state informed as to when it is coming up as soon as we know more,” the Rev. Creech said.
Polls have shown nearly three out of four North Carolinians support the Marriage Protection Amendment. More than 3,500 people rallied on Halifax Mall for traditional marriage last month.
Opponents to the bills held their own rally Thursday, led by Sexuality and Gender Alliance and GetEQUAL NC. Estimates of the pro-homosexual crowd ranged from 50 to 200 people, some half dozen or so of which took their protests into the House floor and were arrested for disrupting the General Assembly while in session.
According to the Raleigh News & Observer’s Under the Dome report, those charged with disorderly conduct included James Weatherly Neal, Angel Chandler and Mary Beth Counce. Protestors burst into the chamber, chanted slogans such as “Liberty and Justice for all,” and had to be removed by Capitol police who booked them into the Wake County jail.