Alabama Republicans set agenda for 2005
By PHILLIP RAWLS
Associated Press Writer
November 10, 2004
Republicans in the Alabama Legislature set an agenda for 2005 that includes enacting a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriages and stopping annual property reappraisals that were ordered by the Republican governor's administration.
The House and Senate Republican Caucuses held a news conference on the Statehouse steps Wednesday to announce their priorities for the Legislature's 2005 regular session, which starts Feb. 1.
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The caucuses said that as they did in 2004, they will propose a constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex marriage. Many Democrats also support the measure, but Democrats and Republicans disagree about when the proposal should go before Alabama voters for approval.Republicans want it on the 2006 general election ballot, "when we have the most voters going to the polls," said House Republican Leader Jim Carns of Mountain Brook.
That's also when Alabamians will be electing a governor and Legislature.
Some Democrats who support a ban want to put the issue on the primary election ballot rather than the general election. They noted that Republicans got gay marriage bans on the ballots in 11 states for the general election Nov. 2, and it helped increase the turnout of conservative voters who cast Republican ballots.
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