Louisiana amendment banning gay marriage gets its day in court

http://www.advocate.com/new_news.asp?ID=14457&sd=11/30/04



Tuesday, November 30, 2004
Louisiana amendment banning gay marriage gets its day in court

A voter-approved amendment to the Louisiana state constitution banning same-sex marriages will be debated Wednesday by the state supreme court. But the debate will center on a tricky legal question--and not the marriage issue itself.

Overwhelmingly approved by 78% of the voters in September, the amendment was struck down by a judge in Baton Rouge in October who said the proposition's structure violated a constitutional requirement that an amendment deal with only one issue. Besides banning same-sex marriages, state district judge William Morvant said, the amendment prevents the state from recognizing any legal status for common-law relationships, domestic partnerships, and civil unions between both gay and heterosexual couples.