With all the elections going on, I don't want people to lose track of an important ballot initiative in Arizona. Yes, they're going after the gays again -- but this time, they're losing.
Proposition 107 would not only ban same-sex marriage in Arizona (which is already illegal), but also take away health care, legal protection, and domestic benefits from thousands of Arizona families. Here's some quick info:
Q. What is the "Protect Marriage Arizona" Amendment?
A. It is a proposed ballot measure for the 2006 Arizona General Election. It states: "To preserve and protect marriage in this state, only a union between one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage by this state or its political subdivisions and no legal status for unmarried persons shall be created or recognized by this state or its political subdivisions that is similar to that of marriage."
Q. Does the proposed amendment change Arizona law to prohibit "gay marriage?"
A. It does not. Arizona law already states that "Marriage between persons of the same sex is void and prohibited" (Title 25-101, Section C). Arizona judges have since upheld this law.
Q. If it doesn't change the law regarding gay marriage, what does it change?
A. The language ... means that families where the partners are not legally married, gay or straight, will lose medical and other benefits if they work for the state, any Arizona city or town, school district, etc. Similar regulations passed in Missouri, Utah, Michigan and Ohio have forced state universities and colleges to stop offering domestic partner health benefits. If this amendment passes, the University of Arizona will be forced to void its program of tuition wavers for domestic partners.
Q. How many Arizona families will be affected?
A. There were 118,196 Arizona households with unmarried partners identified in the 2000 Census, or 10.7 percent of all couples in the state. About 12,000 of them were same-sex couples. It is not known how many of these couples work for state, city, county and school employers, but the number is substantial. Also, many Arizona seniors opt for domestic partnerships - not marriage - for fear of losing pension or other benefits, and this amendment would put their partnership arrangements in jeopardy.
Q. Is the effect on straight couples an accident?
A. No, the backers of this amendment have long voiced the opinion that people should not live together outside the bonds of marriage and, in fact, actively opposed modernizing old Arizona laws that made cohabitation a crime
My friend (and YearlyKos speaker)
St. Rep. Kyrsten Sinema is leading
the fight against it.
Arizona needs our help.
Arizona Together's last poll on October 9th showed them defeating the measure by a 48-41 margin. This would make Arizona the first state to defeat an anti-gay marriage initiative. (The poll actually read the ballot language to the participants, straight from the ballot.) There are conflicting polls out there, and this is exceptionally close.
Their first anti-107 ads are on the air, as well as a mailing to 500,000 voters.
Still, they're about $150,000 short of where they want to be to be able to defeat the measure. Arizona is about to be the first state in the nation to defeat this initiative, and the money is truly the tipping point. Let's help them win this.
Here's a secure link to contribute online.
Do it. Now. I'm in for $100. Who's with me?