Summary
Colorado voters passed Amendment J, removing language from the state constitution that defined marriage exclusively as a union between one man and one woman.
This 2006 provision, previously enshrined by Amendment 43, conflicted with the 2015 U.S. Supreme Court ruling legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide.
Supporters, including LGBTQ+ advocacy group One Colorado, argue that Amendment J safeguards same-sex marriage in the state if federal protections are ever overturned.
Opponents, like Focus on the Family and the Colorado Catholic Conference, uphold traditional marriage definitions, asserting that marriage should reflect biological complementarity and support children’s well-being through both maternal and paternal roles.
Will be overruled by national ban next year.
But states rights!!! /s
just like that? the governors don’t have a say in that?
States’ rights are only valid as long as they support the Republican agenda…
The civil war was about states’ rights
States’ rights to force other states to return escaped slaves. Slaves were taking the underground railroad to the north where slavery wasn’t enforced. The South responded by demanding the North return the escaped slaves.
The civil war was about bullying left wing states into violating their own laws to conform to what conservative states demanded of them.
Others have answered, but the reason why “states’ rights” don’t matter at the Federal level is the Supremacy Clause. States can be more restrictive than the Federal government, but cannot be more lax/loose. An interesting aside is the states that have legalized marijuana usage, where the Federal government has (as of yet) not cracked down on that. It is within constitutional power to do so, but just hasn’t.
Can’t you game that law by just phrasing permissive laws as strict?
“It is illegal for any officer of the law to make arrest or conviction based on marijuana consumption or possession”.
Boom. You’re being more restrictive, not being more loose.
As long as the Supreme Court agrees that that is restrictive, sure.
Lawyers hate this one weird trick! That wouldn’t work because you’re not actually being more “strict”, you’re still in opposition to the federal law. Being more “strict” means you’re still in compliance with federal law, you just do extra stuff on top. Semantics can’t change that.
Oh no, we definitely follow federal law. Marijuana possession is 100% illegal here and anyone who smokes pot should know they are very naughty! We just don’t allow cops to do anything about it.
Sort of, yes. Your example, as passed as a state law, would bind state officers, but not federal officers.
And in fact, New Hampshire passed a law barring state officers from enforcing federal firearms law. If the feds want to be more restrictive than the state, they’ll have to do that work themselves. https://newhampshirebulletin.com/briefs/sununu-signs-bill-barring-state-enforcement-of-federal-firearms-laws/
woah, thanks for the lesson.
Perhaps a federation would be more suited for America instead of one government that decides for all even though every state has its own set of problems?
That’s how it was designed. The federal government was supposed to be a weak organization only to organize between states and other countries. In practice, the federal government gradually increased its own power, culminating in the Supreme Court affirming it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wickard_v._Filburn
Damn but thanks again :)
This was a massive debate for the first decades of the country.
Nope. Federal law is solely up to Congress to make it and the President to sign it (and the Supreme Court to review if someone sues). Governors only affect state law, and federal law supercedes state law.
whelp and Congress, President and SCOTUS being in the hands of Republicans… this gonna get very uncomfortable
Uncomfortable? People are going to die macniel.
Yes, very uncomfortable.
Edgy. It must feel satisfying. Been a pleasure chatting but I have work to do. Tata.
No, on the contrary. It is absolutely not satisfying, its absolutely terrifying. Have a good day.
Already have been. It’ll just get worse now.
Tell that to the states that have legalized recreational marijuana, while marijuana is still a federally Class 1 controlled substance
Selective enforcement is not something we should aim for.
Why not, in this reality we live in? Not in the ideal make-believe reality, in the current reality. Why shouldn’t we aim for it, especially when it comes to this, knowing that all three branches of the federal government are going to go a particular way? Even if it sets a bad precedence, screw it. Save lives now, rather than chase an ideal.
Because it’s already being used to oppress minorities.
So what you’re saying is, if there new federal government says to round up the Hispanics, Muslims, gays and trans people and put them in camps, States should comply, because there shouldn’t be exceptions?
While voting for this, I was shocked that the ban on gay marriage passed on 2006. Reminded me that even though we’ve had some shithead leaders over the years, at least we’re making some progress.
That was just 3 years after homosexuality was legalized. They were still reacting from Lawrence v TX and prepping for the push for marriage Equality.
California passed Proposition 8 (one man one woman)in 2008! Thankfully we saw sense, and this time we passed Prop 3 (the right to marry is a fundamental right/ equal protection).
We may be a little screwy about the number line, but hopefully we’re still a bastion of humanity.
Well, give it a few months, trump will remove it all.
Well that’s nice.
Until a federal ban.
Same thought when I read about Missouri voting for access to abortion, and for Republicans.
I’m just so dumbfounded by how many progressive constitutional amendments got passed but voted Republican.
I just can’t comprehend someone saying, “You know, this asshole took away my abortion rights but since I’m voting to restore them, I guess he should get another shot.”
These people think that abortion amendments are going to hold when their dear leader is in the White House.
Americans are morons. That’s it.
Apparently Trump’s numbers are same compared to 2020 but something like 14 million Biden voters chose to stay home than vote for Harris.
Absolute fuckwits.
Edit: Trump lost 3 million voters compared to 2020.
democrats were warned during biden’s campaign in 2020 they (the left) wouldn’t do it again for them. and you’re surprised that they followed through when presented with a genocidal candidate? :shocked pikachu:
I mean, yes, I am surprised that they sat on their asses and tacitly chose the even more genocidal candidate.
I get not wanting to make the choice between eating dirt or wet shit, but sitting this one out was just asking for wet shit.
You were warned. You decided to hold your nose and believe the polls that everything was close and would be okay if you just high handed brow beat people enough.
You are as much to blame as Harris’ campaign because you’re comfortable with supporting a genicide. Please go touch grass, do some shrooms, whatever you need to do to connect with your community.
You gave Harris and biden permission to behave this way and you caused this just as much as they did.
Since when is Trump DNC candidate?
maybe if the dems would stop fielding such uninspuring candidates whos main argument seems to be “i’m not that guy” they might get somewhere
Becoming a fascist dictatorship to own the neoliberals
Sure buddy. It’s all someone else’s fault that you didn’t get the perfect candidate that you wanted.
So you stayed home and look who you got as a president.
Good job protesting against DNC. 👍
I’m from the UK so i don’t have the option to vote in the US election, if i were a US citizen i would have voted for Harris. Take it as an outside perspective. Improve or fuck off. Trump got less votes than he did last time and won both the popular vote and the electoral college.
The numbers don’t lie, a politician that doesn’t get people to vote for them is about as useful as a chocolate teapot.
do better.
Yup. Back we go.
That’s why we’re out of here ASAP.
Edit: Are queerphobes downvoting me or something? Sorry, I’m not going to stick around and watch my daughter get marched into a conversion therapy camp.
You know what? I can’t blame you. I just had my world view that most people are kind beings ripped from me. I plan on sinking with the ship and doing anything i can like a good sailor.
If I didn’t have someone who depends on me 100%, I might stay. But she is my number one priority.
I always tell people who are reluctant to cut off narcissistic parents: you owe your parents nothing. You didn’t ask to exist. They owe you everything.
Good luck, and god speed.
Thank you.
I don’t blame anyone for leaving. The country is lost. It will make me very sad to see the number of good people go down, but also happy that they escaped the hellscape that is coming.
I just wish I could take everyone with me. Especially my daughter’s girlfriend and her close friend who is trans.
Yes, but for the love of god, don’t look up narcissistic parents on YT if you don’t have any or it’ll hound you with those video recommendations until the end of time. Trust.
people are kind beings ripped from me
Covid was a big sobering moment for me as it materialized everything I read in history. I’m done with giving anyone the benefit of the doubt. People are fucking stupid and I can’t be trusted.
Deleted prior comment because the comment didnt add to the conversation and I got lost in my own spiral.
But Squid, I think its admirable to put your daughter first. Everyone with half a brain knows that decisions like this, uprooting an established family and everything you know, isnt made lightly/on a whim. You’re showing your support of her well-being, and every time you talk about her on here, you come off as such a loving parent. We should all be so lucky. And, youve talked about having chronic illness before and it sounds like youre headed to a place with socialized health care. I wish you and yours all the luck in the world.
As for my husband and I, we’re childfree by choice, so we’re the best kinda people to stay behind. The kind who can weigh decisions against our own well being and decide what we can/cant handle exposing ourselves to without mixing up a child in this mess.
Fuckin’ not staying in Texas tho.
In regards to your edit, I guess your name has some gravitas now and people will just downvote whatever you say in regards to those topics.
Sigh.
The opposite of what I do. 😃
The question is: where? The US isn’t perfect, but not many countries are. Is there still a country out there that’s free and open to all?
Where for me is the UK, where I am also a citizen. No, it is nowhere near perfect. They also don’t have a government that’s going to force my daughter into a conversion camp. If that happens one day? Well, we’ll have to cross that bridge when we come to it. She’ll be much safer there for now than she is here.
I’m thinking that won’t happen until around March, if not by then definitely in May.
Article didn’t say - how much did it pass by?
Looked it up myself - they’re still counting votes but as of now 63.8% of voters supported it.
fuck, dude
