Title
Resolution Opposing Amendment One - Chairman Cogdell
Summary
ACTION:
Adopt a Resolution in Opposition to Amendment One
Contact: Chairman Harold Cogdell
Presentation: Yes
BACKGROUND/JUSTIFICATION:
On May 8, 2012, the voters of the State of North Carolina will consider amending the North Carolina State Constitution. If approved, the proposed measure would amend Article 14 of the North Carolina Constitution by adding a Section 6 Marriage that would read as follows: Marriage between one man and one woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in this State. This section does not prohibit a private party from entering into contracts with another private party; nor does this section prohibit courts from adjudicating the rights of private parties pursuant to such contracts.
The proposed Amendment One is unnecessary. Same-sex marriage is not legally recognized in the State of North Carolina. The proposed language of Amendment One is vague and ambiguous and will thereby invite litigation that will require extensive judicial resources to be devoted to resolve these disputes for years to come in an already over-burdened judicial system. In recent years, the Judicial Branch of state government has received less than 3% of the overall state budget and North Carolina has consistently ranked either 48th or 49th in the nation in judges per capita.
As many believe that the best policy/government decisions are made closest to the citizens impacted. This home rule philosophy of governance would permit local jurisdictions, not state law, to govern themselves in a manner most responsive to the will of the respective constituencies of each local jurisdiction. The current policy of the Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners states that Mecklenburg County is committed to equal and nondiscriminatory treatment for employees in the administration of benefits programs, including the extension of benefits to same-gender domestic p...
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