[Vision2020] California Supreme Court to Take Up Gay Marriage

[Kai Eiselein, Editor]

>From wikipedia:
Some constitutions may only be amended with the direct consent of the electorate in a referendum. In some states a decision to submit an amendment to the electorate must first be taken by the legislature. In others a constitutional referendum may be triggered by a citizen's initiative. The constitutions of the Republic of Ireland, Denmark, Japan and Australia are amended by means of a referendum first proposed by parliament. The constitutions of Switzerland and of several United States states may be amended through the process of popular initiative.

Stupid voters, laws are for courts to decide


From: keely emerinemix 
Sent: Thursday, November 20, 2008 9:27 AM
To: editor at lataheagle.com ; vision2020 at moscow.com ; Tom Hansen 
Subject: RE: [Vision2020] California Supreme Court to Take Up Gay Marriage


Sorry, Kai, but scarier than that is the idea that our government, with the Constitution constantly held at the whim of voters, could deteriorate into a government-by-referenda.  It's been bad for Washington State, but at least Tim Eyman hasn't gone after human rights or Constitutional guarantees thereof.

Keely
http://keely-prevailingwinds.blogspot.com/





--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: editor at lataheagle.com
To: vision2020 at moscow.com; thansen at moscow.com
Date: Thu, 20 Nov 2008 08:33:04 -0800
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] California Supreme Court to Take Up Gay Marriage


"They argue that voters alone did not have the authority to enact such a significant constitutional change."

THAT is one scary sentence.


--------------------------------------------------
From: "Tom Hansen" <thansen at moscow.com>
Sent: Thursday, November 20, 2008 7:24 AM
To: <vision2020 at moscow.com>
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] California Supreme Court to Take Up Gay Marriage

>>From today's (November 20, 2008) Spokesman Review -
> 
> ---------------------------------------------------------
> 
> California Supreme Court to hear cases on gay marriage ban 
> Lisa Leff 
> Associated Press
> November 20, 2008
> 
> SAN FRANCISCO - California's highest court agreed Wednesday to hear 
> several legal challenges to the state's new ban on same-sex marriage but 
> refused to allow gay couples to resume marrying before it rules.
> 
> The California Supreme Court accepted three lawsuits seeking to nullify 
> Proposition 8, a voter-approved constitutional amendment that overruled 
> the court's decision in May that legalized gay marriage.
> 
> All three cases claim the measure abridges the civil rights of a 
> vulnerable minority group. They argue that voters alone did not have the 
> authority to enact such a significant constitutional change.
> 
> 
> As is its custom when it takes up cases, the court elaborated little. 
> However, the justices did say they want to address what effect, if any, a 
> ruling upholding the amendment would have on the estimated 18,000 same-sex 
> marriages that were sanctioned in California before Election Day.
> 
> Gay rights groups and local governments petitioning to overturn the ban 
> were joined by the measure's sponsors and Attorney General Jerry Brown in 
> urging the Supreme Court to consider whether Proposition 8 passes legal 
> muster.
> 
> The initiative's opponents had also asked the court to grant a stay of the 
> measure, which would have allowed gay marriages to begin again while the 
> justices considered the cases. The court denied that request.
> 
> The justices directed Brown and lawyers for the Yes on 8 campaign to 
> submit arguments by Dec. 19 on why the ballot initiative should not be 
> nullified. It said lawyers for the plaintiffs, who include same-sex 
> couples who did not wed before the election, must respond before Jan. 5.
> 
> Oral arguments could be scheduled as early as March, according to court 
> spokeswoman Lynn Holton.
> 
> ---------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Seeya round town, Moscow.
> 
> Tom Hansen
> Moscow, Idaho
> 
> 
> 
>> Tom Hansen wrote:
>> > >From the Associated Press -
>> >
>> > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0y1axGO8iAE
>> >
>> > Seeya round town, Moscow.
>> >
>> > Tom Hansen
>> > Moscow, Idaho
>> >  
>> > "We're a town of about 23,000 with 10,000 college students. The 
> college 
>> > students are not very active in local elections (thank goodness!)."
>> >
>> > - Dale Courtney (March 28, 2007)
>> >
>> >
>> > ---------------------------------------------
>> > This message was sent by First Step Internet.
>> >            http://www.fsr.com/
>> >
>> >
>> > =======================================================
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>> >  serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.   
>> >                http://www.fsr.net                       
>> >           mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
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>> >
>> >
>> >   
>> 
>> 
>> -- 
>> Windows, OSX, or Linux is the same choice as:
>> McDonalds, Burger King, or a (real) Co-Op.
>> 
> 
> 
> ---------------------------------------------
> This message was sent by First Step Internet.
>           http://www.fsr.com/
> 
> 
>



> =======================================================
> List services made available by First Step Internet, 
> serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.   
>               http://www.fsr.net                       
>          mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
> =======================================================
Kai Eiselein
Editor, Latah Eagle


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Kai Eiselein
Editor, Latah Eagle
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