AMERICAN FAMILY ASSOCIATION OF MICHIGAN
N E W S R E L E A S E
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tues., Aug. 24, 2004
CONTACT: Gary Glenn 989-835-7978
Dem canvassers violate constitution, voting
rights, marriage group charges
LANSING -- A group supporting a Marriage Protection Amendment to Michigan's
state constitution Tuesday charged that two Democratic members of the state
Board of Canvassers Monday violated both the constitution and
citizens' constitutionally-guaranteed voting rights.
Democratic canvassers Dorothy Jones and Doyle O'Connor violated requirements
of the state constitution by refusing to certify the signatures -- found
valid by the Secretary of State's office -- of nearly half a million voters
on a petition to place the issue on the ballot. Republican canvassers Eric
Pelton and Katherine DeGrow voted in favor of certifying the signatures and
thus placing the issue on the ballot. Officially placing the amendment on
the ballot will be temporarily delayed by the tie vote.
The American Family Association of Michigan, which first called for a state
Marriage Protection Amendment last summer after an Ontario court legalized
so-called homosexual "marriage" on Michigan's border, said the two
Democratic canvassers' refusal to let Michigan citizens vote on the issue
was comparable to San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsome's issuance of marriage
licenses to thousands of homosexual couples "in clear violation and open
defiance of state law."
"Michigan's constitution guarantees all citizens the right of petition, and
if successful as this petition was, the right to vote on the ballot for an
amendment protecting the institution of marriage between one man and one
woman," AFA-Michigan President Gary Glenn said. "Nearly half a million
Michigan voters signed a petition demanding the right to vote on this issue,
and two Democratic canvassers' arrogant attempt to violate the constitution
and deny millions of Michigan voters their constitutionally-guaranteed right
to vote will be quickly and emphatically rejected."
Glenn predicted the Michigan Court of Appeal, or if necessary, the Michigan
Supreme Court, will within days overturn the Board of Canvassers' "blatant
violation of voters' constitutional rights."
"These two appointed bureaucrats obviously believe they know better than
half a million Michigan voters. That will not stand," Glenn said.
"But after that, even after November, Michigan voters should
remain extremely concerned that two Democratic canvassers have proven in
broad daylight that when their personal political agenda is involved, they
cannot be trusted to obey, much less enforce, Michigan's constitution and
state law," Glenn said.
Michigan's constitution guarantees citizens the right to petition their
government to place constitutional amendments on the ballot, by submitting
petitions containing the valid signatures of roughly 317,000 registered
voters. If sufficient signatures are gathered for a proposed amendment, the
personal opinions of the state Board of Canvassers are irrelevant; the
constitution requires that the amendment appear on the ballot.
Marriage amendment supporters submitted over 460,000 valid signatures,
according to the Secretary of State.
The Michigan Constitution states: "Any amendment proposed by
such petition shall be submitted...to the electors at the next
general election." www.michiganlegislature.org/mileg.asp?page=getObject&objName=mcl-Constitution-XII-2&highlight=
"Here's a hint for canvassers Jones and O'Connor," Glenn said.
"Our constitution says by law, the amendment 'shall' be put on the ballot.
It doesn't say 'shall' be put on the ballot unless two appointed bureaucrats
on the Board of Canvassers disagree."
Glenn said the two Democratic canvassers "should be asked to explain why
they made this a partisan, party-line vote, especially in light of
overwhelming support for the Marriage Protection Amendment and one-man,
one-woman marriage from core Democratic constituencies in Michigan."
"Public opinion polls indicate that in Michigan, 76 percent of
African-Americans, two-thirds of union households, and at least half of
all Democrats across the board plan to vote 'yes' in favor of
constitutionally protecting one-man, one-woman marriage," Glenn said.
He said Missouri voters Aug. 3rd approved a marriage amendment by 71 percent
of the vote in an election in which Democratic primary voters made up 60
percent of the turnout, meaning that at least half of all Democrats voted in
favor. Democratic Presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry said he too would
have voted in favor of Missouri's marriage amendment, and Louisiana's
Democratic governor last week said she would vote in favor of a marriage
amendment set to appear on that state's ballot.
"When so many Michigan Democrats, particularly African-Americans, strongly
support an amendment protecting one-man, one-woman marriage, why
are two Democratic canvassers trying to deny African-American and other
voters the right to vote on it?" Glenn asked. "Why are canvassers
representing a party whose mantra has been to 'let every vote count,' trying
instead to make sure no votes count, including the votes of other
Democrats?"
Glenn said Democratic canvasser Dorothy Jones admitted last fall that the
board of canvassers has no authority to vote on the content of a proposed
constitutional amendment, but only to ensure that the petition circulated
among voters is in the correct form and receives the required number of
signatures.
"It doesn't make a difference how we feel," Jones said last December after
voting to approve the form of a petition for a proposed amendment banning
affirmative action, even though she said she personally opposed its content.
The Associated Press reported: "Board
(of Canvassers) chairman Dorothy Jones, a Democrat, and Republicans Eric
Pelton and Kathy DeGrow voted to approve the petition. But they emphasized
that they were only voting to approve the form of the petition, not its
content, which is not their job. 'We are not here to debate affirmative
action,' Jones said. 'I don't like this proposal. I am pro-affirmative
action. ...It doesn't make a difference how we feel.'"
# # #
CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN
ARTICLE XII -- AMENDMENT AND REVISION (EXCERPT)
ง 2 Amendment by petition and vote of electors.
Amendments may be proposed to this constitution by petition of the
registered electors of this state. Every petition shall include the full
text of the proposed amendment, and be signed by registered electors of the
state equal in number to at least 10 percent of the total vote cast for all
candidates for governor at the last preceding general election at which a
governor was elected. Such petitions shall be filed with the person
authorized by law to receive the same at least 120 days before the election
at which the proposed amendment is to be voted upon. Any such petition shall
be in the form, and shall be signed and circulated in such manner, as
prescribed by law. The person authorized by law to receive such petition
shall upon its receipt determine, as provided by law, the validity and
sufficiency of the signatures on the petition, and make an official
announcement thereof at least 60 days prior to the election at which the
proposed amendment is to be voted upon.
Any amendment proposed by such petition shall be submitted, not less than 120 days after it was filed, to the electors at the next general election.
Bud Press is a Christian Investigative Researcher and the Director of Christian Research Service. As a service to the body of Christ he provides information, documentation and referral on a wide variety of issues to individuals, companies, pro-family groups, outreach ministries and the Christian news media.