AZ SSM Ban Derailed

From "Same-sex marriage measure dealt blow," Arizona Republic, April 3, 2008:

The effort to amend the [Arizona] state Constitution to ban same-sex marriage was derailed Thursday in the state Legislature, dealing a shocking defeat to supporters who thought a fall referendum on the issue was secure.

Opponents in the House of Representatives changed the measure to tie it to expanded legal rights for domestic partners, causing most Republicans to withdraw their support.

A spokesman for House Speaker Jim Weiers said Weiers would not bring the amended version of the referendum to a final vote. Senate President Tim Bee said late Thursday he does not plan to move the Senate version of the measure, which has been stalled in the chamber for months...

In 2006, Arizona voters became the first in the nation to reject a constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman. That measure, which also would have blocked governments from providing benefits to gay or straight domestic partners, failed 48 percent to 52 percent.

The referendum in the Legislature was the chance to send voters a marriage amendment again, without the domestic-partner provision that observers say doomed the 2006 measure. Same-sex marriage is already illegal under Arizona law, but supporters have pushed for a constitutional amendment in order to counter potential court challenges...