From Missouri Digital News: https://mdn.org
MDN Menu

MDN Home

Journalist's Creed

Print

MDN Help

 MDN.ORG: Missouri Digital News
MDN Menu

MDN Home

Journalist's Creed

Print

MDN Help

 MDN.ORG Mo. Digital News Missouri Digital News MDN.ORG: Mo. Digital News MDN.ORG: Missouri Digital News
Help  

House approves constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage

April 22, 2004
By: Cliff Judy
State Capital Bureau

The Missouri House passed a proposed constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. Cliff Judy is in Jefferson City with the story.

Story:
RunTime:
OutCue: SOC

The proposal will now go to the Senate, which passed a similar proposal that Rep. Kevin Engler says is not strong enough. Engler sponsored the House proposal, which prohibits Missouri from recognizing gay marriages from other states or countries.

Actuality:
RunTime:
OutCue:
Contents: Engler says, "I think they'll go with my language. I don't think that's a major obstacle. I hope it's not. I've been promised that it's not."

Engler says he's confident Missouri voters will decide on the gay marriage issue by November at the latest.

Even supporters of the proposal, though, acknowledge that if any other state allows gay marriages, federal law may force Missouri to recognize them. From the state Capitol, I'm Cliff Judy.

The Missouri House passed a proposed constitutional amendment to keep same-sex couples from saying "I do." Cliff Judy has more from the state Capitol.

Story:
RunTime:
OutCue: SOC

Republican Rep. Kevin Engler, the sponsor of the proposed amendment, says he is confident the language of his proposal to ban gay marriage will be accepted by the Senate.

Engler says he thinks voters will get to decide the issue by the November elections at the latest.

Actuality:
RunTime:
OutCue:
Contents: Engler says, "What we're going to do is put it in the constitution to make no doubt what the intention of the people of Missouri are."

Opponents of the proposal say the state law prohibiting gay marriage is sufficient and a constitutional amendment goes too far and is demeaning. From the state Capitol, I'm Cliff Judy.

The Missouri House gave final approval to a proposal that would prohibit same-sex couples from tying the knot. Cliff Judy is in Jefferson City with the story.

Story:
RunTime:
OutCue: SOC

Opponents of the bill to constitutionally ban gay marriages say the move would be demeaning.

Democratic Rep. Vicki Walker voted against the proposal and says it doesn't belong anywhere in Missouri's constitution.

Actuality:
RunTime:
OutCue:
Contents: Walker says, "The law of the land has no place in it where it talks about marriage or relationships. No place in it does the U.S. or the Missouri Constitution talk about this stuff. Where are you going to put it? You going to put it under taxation?"

Walker gave her opinion on what the move means to Missouri citizens.

Actuality:
RunTime:
OutCue:
Contents: Walker says, "We've just told ten percent of the population that you don't matter."

Supporters of the bill say it will protect the law from what they call activist judges. The proposal will now go to the Senate for approval. From the state Capitol, I'm Cliff Judy.

The Missouri House gave final approval to a proposal that would prohibit gay marriages. Cliff Judy is in Jefferson City with the story.

Story:
RunTime:
OutCue: SOC

The bill to ban gay marriage will now go to the Senate. Republican Rep. Kevin Engler is the sponsor of the House's proposal and says he's confident the Senate will accept it's language.

Actuality:
RunTime:
OutCue:
Contents: Engler says, "I think they'll go with my language. I don't think that's a major obstacle. I hope it's not. I've been promised that it's not."

Currently, Missouri has a statute banning gay marriages, but Engler says his bill was created to protect the law from activist judges.

Actuality:
RunTime:
OutCue:
Contents: Engler says, "What we're going to do is put it in the constitution to make no doubt what the intention of the people of Missouri are."

But opponents of the bill say the state law is sufficient.

Democratic Rep. Vicki Walker voted against the proposal and says a ban on gay marriages does not belong anywhere in Missouri's constitution.

Actuality:
RunTime:
OutCue:
Contents: Walker says, "The law of the land has no place in it where it talks about marriage or relationships. No place in it does the U.S. or the Missouri Constitution talk about this stuff. Where are you going to put it? You going to put it under taxation?"

Walker says the move is discriminatory to a large portion of Missouri citizens.

Actuality:
RunTime:
OutCue:
Contents: Walker says, "We've just told ten percent of the population that you don't matter."

If the bill is approved, Engler says he hopes Missouri citizens will get to decide on the amendment in the November elections, when the largest number of voters will be at the polls. From the state Capitol, I'm Cliff Judy.