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A vote in today's meeting of the Massachusetts Constitutional Convention did not garner enough 'yeas' to force a ballot vote on an amendment to the state constitution that would have defined marriage as the union of one man and one woman. Cheers erupted in the statehouse as marriage equality advocates saw just 45 legislators vote to place the amendment to a popular vote. Fifty votes were required to force the referendum. 151 legislators voted against sending the amendment to a popular vote.
Following the vote, Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean issued the following statement:
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Washington, DC – Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean today issued the following statement on the overwhelming vote in the Massachusetts legislature to defeat a discriminatory, anti-marriage constitutional amendment:
“Today’s vote is an important milestone in the march toward equal rights and protections under the law for every American. By a three-to-one margin, Bay State legislators stood up and sent a clear message that there is no place in their constitution for the brand of divisiveness and discrimination that would have been enshrined in this proposed amendment. I applaud Governor Deval Patrick and the Democratic leadership in the State House for their strong, principled leadership.
“Because Democrats value all families, we are committed to promoting a vision of America in which every one of our fellow citizens can live in respect and dignity, with equality under the law. Governor Patrick and his fellow Bay State Democrats helped bring that ideal closer to reality today by casting aside the politics of fear and division.”
