Kansas, Idaho Lawmakers Stewing Over Marriage Amendment Proposals
by Jody Brown and Jim Brown
February 1, 2005
(AgapePress) - Depending on how their elected representatives in the Statehouse vote this week, the citizens of Kansas may or may not see a proposed constitutional amendment protecting traditional marriage on the April ballot.
Senate Concurrent Resolution (SCR) 1601 [PDF] proposes to add the following amendment to the Kansas Constitution: "The marriage contract is to be considered in law as a civil contract. Marriage shall be constituted by one man and one woman only. All other marriages are declared to be contrary to the public policy of this state and are void. No relationship, other than a marriage, shall be recognized by the state as entitling the parties to the rights or incidents of marriage." Basically, under the proposed amendment, only traditionally married couples would be entitled to benefits associated with marriage.
Already passed by the Senate in mid-January by a 28-11 vote, the measure now stands before the House in Topeka after being advanced out of the Federal and State Affairs Committee on a voice vote. To appear on the April 5 ballot in the Sunflower State, the House would have to pass it by February 11. Debate on the resolution is scheduled for today (February1), with a vote expected tomorrow. Adoption by the House would require a two-thirds majority -- 84 of the 125 House votes.
As with similar measures that passed in 13 states in 2004, supporters of the amendment in Kansas feel it is needed to protect the institution of marriage against court rulings like that in Massachusetts, where that state's Supreme Judicial Court legalized homosexual "marriage" in May. Those measures passed with an average of almost 71 percent of the vote. But for Kansans -- and not their courts -- to have a final say in the matter, the amendment must make it out of Topeka first.
An Optimistic Pastor
Holding up signs and chanting, more than 100 students rallied near the Kansas Statehouse recently against the proposed state ban on same-sex "marriage" and civil unions. Aishlinn O'Connor, a 15-year-old high school sophomore, told Associated Press she organized the anti-amendment rally because she believes the measure would go against an American tradition of expanding civil rights.
But a Baptist pastor in Wichita says those students' attitudes reflect the "anything goes" philosophy espoused by public education. Pastor Terry Fox of Immanuel Baptist Church in Wichita says O'Connor's comments show that in public schools -- or what he calls "government schools" -- young people are "brainwashed" and "told to accept almost anything."
"I think it shows you just how far this 'tolerance' doctrine as gone," the Kansas pastor says. "And of course, you know, tolerance to a liberal means 'anything goes' -- except Christianity."
And in Fox's opinion, the anti-amendment rally is evidence of the liberal indoctrination taking place in public schools. "We're seeing that the government schools are taking over," he says. "I think they're involved in mind control."
Like most churches in America, Immanuel Baptist Church has a strong representation of public schoolers in its congregation. But Fox is not hesitant to voice his criticism. "We have a lot of Christian school teachers in the church I pastor, and we have a lot of Christian students who go to public schools," he says, "but I will tell you: I'm becoming increasingly more concerned all the time about the danger of putting children under the authority of government schools."
Last year, the measure to ban same-sex marriage failed by five votes in the Kansas House. Fox says he is "prayerfully optimistic" the measure will pass the House this time around. In an interview with the Bott Radio Network, the pastor noted the new make-up of the House and how that should have an impact on the vote.
"Since last year we elected many conservatives in the House all across the state," Fox said. "This vote is where you are going to see the impact of the last election. Seventy-two percent of voters participated in the last election. That is most Kansans voting in the history of our state."
In the past year, Fox and Pastor Joe Wright of Central Christian Church have been in 41 Kansas cities and towns to promote the marriage amendment.
A Not-So-Optimistic Prognosis
Meanwhile, the state senate in Idaho also is scheduled to vote tomorrow (February 2) on a marriage amendment to the state constitution. The outcome of the vote there is in question, however. As in Kansas, a two-thirds majority is needed for the 35-member Senate to approve the measure. That means 12 legislators could stop the proposed amendment. According to the Idaho Statesman, that is a distinct possibility; six Democrats and six Republicans have already gone on record stating they are planning to vote against the bill.
If the measure does not pass in the Idaho Senate, it would become the first state where an amendment campaign defending traditional marriage failed.
