Oh, how I miss Molly Ivins.
"This state or a political subdivision of this state may not create or recognize any legal status identical or similar to marriage."
That’s from a 2005 amendment to the Texas state constitution. It was passed by the “lege†as Molly used to refer to the state legislature. The amendment was then ratified by Texas voters.
Barbara Ann Radnofsky says that one needn’t “have to have a fancy law degree to read this and understand what it plainly says.†Her interpretation is that this clause effectively “eliminates marriage in Texas.â€
The intent of the amendment is to ban same-sex marriage and this clause, Section B, is intended to ban same-sex domestic partnerships and civil unions. Radnofsky is a candidate for attorney general in Texas and offered the assessment above. Of course, the entrenched power structure disagrees.
Poorly written legislation proves again that one law is immutable: The law of unintended consequences.
Read all about the story here.
California gets such a bad rap but we’ve never done anything like this, have we?
Texan Molly Ivins would have such fun with this…and enlighten us in the process.