The Federal Marriage Amendment (FMA),also referred to by proponents as the Marriage Protection Amendment,was a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution that would legally define marriage as a union of one man and one woman. The FMA would also prevent judicial extension of marriage rights to same-sex (gay) or other unmarried homosexual couples.
The North Carolina General Assembly is the bicameral legislature of the state government of North Carolina. The legislature consists of two chambers:the Senate and the House of Representatives. The General Assembly meets in the North Carolina Legislative Building in Raleigh,North Carolina.
Philip Edward Berger is a Republican member of the North Carolina General Assembly representing the state's thirtieth Senate district,which includes Caswell,Rockingham,Stokes,and Surry counties.
Proposition 22 was a law enacted by California voters in March 2000 stating that marriage was between one man and one woman. In November 2008,Proposition 8 was also passed by voters,again only allowing marriage between one man and one woman.
North Carolina is currently divided into 14 congressional districts,each represented by a member of the United States House of Representatives. After the 2000 census,the number of North Carolina's seats was increased from 12 to 13 due to the state's increase in population. In the 2022 elections,per the 2020 United States census,North Carolina gained one new congressional seat for a total of 14.
Prior to the Supreme Court's decision in Obergefell v. Hodges (2015),U.S. state constitutional amendments banning same-sex unions of several different types passed,banning legal recognition of same-sex unions in U.S. state constitutions,referred to by proponents as "defense of marriage amendments" or "marriage protection amendments." These state amendments are different from the proposed Federal Marriage Amendment,which would ban same-sex marriage in every U.S. state,and Section 2 of the Defense of Marriage Act,more commonly known as DOMA,which allowed the states not to recognize same-sex marriages from other states. The amendments define marriage as a union between one man and one woman and prevent civil unions or same-sex marriages from being legalized,though some of the amendments bar only the latter. The Obergefell decision in June 2015 invalidated these state constitutional amendments insofar as they prevented same-sex couples from marrying,even though the actual text of these amendments remain written into the state constitutions.
The Constitution of the State of North Carolina governs the structure and function of the state government of North Carolina,one of the United States;it is the highest legal document for the state and subjugates North Carolina law.
The Tennessee Marriage Protection Amendment,also known as Tennessee Amendment 1 of 2006,is a state constitutional amendment banning same-sex unions. The referendum was approved by 81% of voters. It specified that only a marriage between a man and a woman could be legally recognized in the state of Tennessee. This prohibited same-sex marriages within the state,reinforcing previously existing statutes to the same effect until it was overturned by the Obergefell v. Hodges ruling in June 2015.
The Amendment 774 of 2006,also known as Alabama Sanctity of Marriage Amendment,is an amendment to the Alabama Constitution that makes it unconstitutional for the state to recognize or perform same-sex marriages or civil unions. The legislature passed Alabama Act 2005-35,which placed this amendment on the election ballot. The referendum was approved by 81% of the voters.
Same-sex marriage has been legally recognized in North Carolina since October 10,2014,when a U.S. District Court judge ruled in General Synod of the United Church of Christ v. Cooper that the state's denial of marriage rights to same-sex couples was unconstitutional. Governor Pat McCrory and Attorney General Roy Cooper had acknowledged that a recent ruling in the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court's decision not to hear an appeal in that case established the unconstitutionality of North Carolina's ban on same-sex marriage. State legislators sought without success to intervene in lawsuits to defend the state's ban on same-sex marriage.
Same-sex marriage has been legal in South Carolina since a federal court order took effect on November 20,2014. Another court ruling on November 18 had ordered the state to recognize same-sex marriages from other jurisdictions. Following the 2014 ruling of the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in Bostic v. Schaefer,which found Virginia's ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional and set precedent on every state in the circuit,one judge accepted marriage license applications from same-sex couples until the South Carolina Supreme Court,in response to a request by the Attorney General,ordered him to stop. A federal district court ruled South Carolina's ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional on November 12,with implementation of that decision stayed until noon on November 20. The first same-sex wedding ceremony was held on November 19.
Lesbian,gay,bisexual,and transgender (LGBT) people in the U.S. state of North Carolina may face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents,or LGBT residents of other states with more liberal laws.
North Carolina Amendment 1 was a legislatively referred constitutional amendment in North Carolina that amended the Constitution of North Carolina to prohibit the state from recognizing or performing same-sex marriages or civil unions. The amendment did not prohibit domestic partnership agreements,but defined male–female marriage as "the only domestic legal union" considered valid or recognized in the state. On May 8,2012,North Carolina voters approved the amendment,61% to 39%,with a voter turnout of 35%. On May 23,2012,the amendment took effect.
This article contains a timeline of significant events regarding same-sex marriage in the United States. On June 26,2015,the landmark US Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges effectively ended restrictions on same-sex marriage in the United States.
George Grant Cleveland,is a Republican member of the North Carolina House of Representatives. He has represented the 14th District since 2005. He is a 25-year veteran of the United States Marine Corps.
Same-sex marriage has been legal in Arkansas since the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark decision in Obergefell v. Hodges on June 26,2015,striking down same-sex marriage bans nationwide. Prior to this,same-sex marriage in Arkansas was briefly legal for a period beginning on May 9,2014,as a result of a ruling by Sixth Judicial Circuit Judge Chris Piazza striking down the state's constitutional and statutory bans on same-sex marriage as violating the U.S. Constitution. Approximately 541 same-sex couples received marriage licenses in several counties before the Arkansas Supreme Court stayed his ruling pending appeal on May 16,2014.
The 2006 Virginia State Elections took place on Election Day,November 7,2006,the same day as the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate elections in the state. The only statewide elections on the ballot were three constitutional referendums to amend the Virginia State Constitution. Because Virginia state elections are held on off-years,no statewide officers or state legislative elections were held. All referendums were referred to the voters by the Virginia General Assembly.
Larry Graham Pittman is a former Republican member of the North Carolina House of Representatives. He represented the 83rd district from 2011 to 2023.
Redistricting in North Carolina has been a controversial topic due to allegations and admissions of gerrymandering.
Moore v. Harper,600 U.S. 1 (2023),is a landmark decision of the Supreme Court of the United States that rejected the independent state legislature theory (ISL),a doctrine that asserts state legislatures have sole authority to establish election laws for federal elections within their respective states without judicial review by state courts,presentment to state governors,and without constraint by state constitutions. The case arose from the redistricting of North Carolina's districts by its legislature after the 2020 United States census,which the state courts found to be too artificial and partisan,and an extreme case of gerrymandering in favor of the Republican Party.
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