FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Chuck Darrell
September 16, 2011 (612) 275-9141
PRO-MARRIAGE ACTIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY SHOW
SUPPORT FOR TRADITIONAL MARRIAGE IS STRONGER THAN EVER
Minneapolis, MN – The Minnesota for Marriage Coalition, a broad-based group of community and faith leaders and organizations and thousands of citizens supporting next year’s vote to preserve the definition of marriage as only one man and one woman in Minnesota’s constitution, pointed to recent voter and legislative actions in New York, North Carolina and New Hampshire as proof that marriage matters to voters, and that politicians who vote to redefine marriage are vulnerable.
“This has been a momentous week for marriage,” said John Helmberger, chairman of Minnesota for Marriage. “Clearly, these pro-marriage wins in New York, North Carolina and New Hampshire demonstrate what we have been saying all along – marriage matters to voters – and politicians who vote to redefine marriage will be held accountable by the electorate.”
Helmberger is referring to a string of pro-marriage victories in three separate states this week. In New York’s 9th Congressional District, state Rep. David Weprin could not defend himself against his vote to redefine marriage earlier this year, and lost a Congressional seat that has been held by a Democrat since the early 1920s. Republican Bob Turner won overwhelmingly with the help of pro-marriage ethnic voters, especially Jewish , Hispanic and Russian voters. Turner benefitted from a significant Independent Expenditure effort by the National Organization for Marriage (NOM), which also supports the Minnesota Marriage Amendment. Virtually every media analyst has credited Weprin’s support for same-sex “marriage” as a decisive issue in the race.
Meanwhile, in North Carolina the state Legislature mustered a bi-partisan, super-majority vote to put a constitutional amendment on the May 2012 ballot, allowing the people to preserve marriage as the unon of one man and one woman. And in New Hampshire, one of only six states to allow same-sex “marriage,” the legislature took an important step in the process of repealing that law and restoring traditional marriage. The House Judiciary Sub-Committee passed legislation that would restore marriage in New Hampshire to only the union of one man and one woman. The legislation will be voted on by the full Legislature in January.
“The actions in North Carolina and New Hampshire are additional indications there is strong support for protecting marriage throughout the nation,” said Helmberger. “We are seeing the same momentum here in Minnesota. In fact, last week thousands of people signed up to volunteer for our campaign. People across Minnesota can’t wait for the opportunity to help preserve marriage and vote in favor of this important constitutional amendment.”
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Minnesota For Marriage
