Legislative Process to Remove MSJC Judges Moves Forward

by Bill Fancher
June 22, 2004

(AgapePress) - An effort to remove the four Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court members who voted to legalize same-sex marriage and reverse their decision is making surprising progress.

Article 8 of the Declaration of Rights in the Massachusetts Constitution allows for the removal of the justices and reversal of their ruling by a simple majority vote of the legislature and approval of the governor. A bill of address sponsored by Rep. Emile J. Goguen (D-Fitchburg) is currently before the Rules Committee of the Massachusetts Legislature.

The bill of address resolves that both houses of the legislature ask the Governor to remove the four MSJC judges. The proposed resolution is currently in the Rules Committee where it has been gaining support and is expected to move forward very soon.

Brian Camenker of the Article 8 Alliance says getting the address procedure set up by the rules committee is a tedious process, but it is moving forward and seeing success. "They're forcing a vote on it," he explains, "and so we've had to go rep by rep and make them approve this thing, and we've had astounding success. We're pretty much there -- I think we need one more vote out of the 15 to make it."

Three of the uncommitted members of the committee are pro-family representatives. The Alliance spokesman believes the bill calling for the Article 8 vote will pass overwhelmingly once it is out of committee.

Camenker, a catalyst in removal effort, says the strategy of keeping political pressure on state lawmakers has been effective. "We've even gotten representatives who have been solidly pro-homosexual and anti-family throughout much of their career to agree to vote favorably on this from sheer pressure from their constituents. I think we've put more pressure on these guys than they've seen in a long, long time," he says.

Article 8 of the Massachusetts Constitution states, "In order to prevent those, who are vested with authority, from becoming oppressors, the people have a right, at such periods and in such manner as they shall establish by their frame of government, to cause their public officers to return to private life...."

The Article 8 Alliance is continuing to urge Bay State citizens to get involved in the group's efforts to reign in judicial tyranny. The group is urging individuals to call or visit their state representatives and senators to express support for the bill of address.