Minnesota for Marriage Files Brief on Prop.8
An organization that supports having Minnesota pass a constitutional amendment defining marriage as being between one man and one woman has filed an amicus brief to the United States Supreme Court.
Minnesota for Marriage filed the friend-of-the-court brief last week in support of Proposition 8, California's referendum question that added an amendment to the state constitution defining marriage as being only between a man and a woman.
Autumn Leva, spokesperson for Minnesota for Marriage, said in a statement that she hopes the brief will be an aid to helping the Supreme Court reach the correct decision on the suit.
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"We are confident our brief will be helpful to the Supreme Court as it considers the constitutionality of California's Proposition 8," said Leva.
"Like California, people in Minnesota have been debating public policies related to sexual orientation and marriage for some time, and we understand the importance of the Court allowing public debate on these issues to continue."
Leva also stated the importance of the government having a specific definition of marriage that exclusively supports one man and one woman.
"Government support for this definition of marriage makes sense because only authentic marriage benefits everyone in the entire state. Only the union of a man and a woman has the potential to produce new life," said Leva.
"Government recognizes this unique difference and, for the sake of the kids involved, encourages men and women to commit to each other and their potential children by promoting authentic marriage."
Last November, voters in Minnesota considered a ballot question that would have added a constitutional amendment defining marriage as being between one man and one woman. Current law in Minnesota does not allow for same-sex marriage. The amendment only received 48 percent of the vote.
By contrast, California's Proposition 8 passed with 52 percent of the vote. Prop. 8 was quickly taken to court under the accusation of being unconstitutional. Judge Vaughn Walker ruled that Prop. 8 was indeed unconstitutional and his decision was upheld by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
In early December, the U.S. Supreme Court decided to hear the appeals in suits brought to them regarding both Prop. 8 and the Defense of Marriage Act. A decision on their constitutionality is expected in the spring.
Minnesota for Marriage is one of many organizations to file amicus briefs on the Prop. 8 and DOMA cases. Around the time the pro-marriage amendment group filed their brief, lawyers for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints did likewise.
"The people of California violated no one's civil rights when they adopted Proposition 8. Their twice-expressed preference for the traditional definition of marriage over an untested rival conception was thoroughly rational. It is therefore thoroughly constitutional," reads the LDS brief on Prop. 8.
