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FUMO AMENDMENT PROTECTS
SANCTITY OF MARRIAGE FROM DIVORCE
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Fumo |
HARRISBURG, May 6 –
With proponents of a proposed constitutional
amendment on marriage claiming that they are
not attempting to discriminate against gays
but merely to protect the sanctity of the
marital institution, state Sen. Vince Fumo
(D-Philadelphia) intends to offer an
amendment that would outlaw the dissolution
of most marriages in Pennsylvania.
Fumo will propose his measure when the
Senate considers SB 1250, which would amend
the state constitution to say that only the
union of one man and one woman would be
recognized as a marriage or the functional
equivalent of marriage. That debate could
occur today.
Listening to the supporters and advocates
for SB 1250, they tell me that their goal is
not to hurt any group of people, but to
protect the valuable yet beleaguered
institution of marriage. In my view, there
is no greater threat to families and to
marriage than the high divorce rate in our
society. So if we truly want our
Constitution to guard the institution of
marriage, we should focus on keeping those
marital unions together, Fumo said.
His change to SB 1250 would prohibit divorce
except when specific causes are present.
Fumo will propose inserting the following
language into the bill:
No
law permitting the dissolution of marital
status shall be valid except in the case of
willful and malicious desertion, cruel and
barbarous treatment of a spouse,
endangerment of the life or health of a
spouse, a bigamous marriage or imposition of
such indignities as to render a spouses
condition intolerable and life burdensome.
Fumo has opposed SB 1250 on the grounds that
it embeds discrimination into the state
Constitution by taking away the rights of
some citizens based on their sexual
orientation. Constitutions, he has argued,
are documents to protect the rights of all
people, especially minorities, from the
potential tyranny of the majority.
He
considers the language in SB 150 that
excludes same-sex couples from not only
marriage but also the functional equivalent
of marriage as a threat to other legal
rights. He voted against the legislation on
Monday when it was reported from the Senate
Appropriations Committee on an 18-8 vote.
Senate passage SB 1250 would be only the
first step on a long path toward including
it in the Constitution. It would also have
to pass the House of Representatives in this
session, then pass the Senate and House
again during the two-year legislative
session that will begin in January of 2009,
then be approved by a majority of the voters
of the state in a referendum.
Fumo is twice divorced. |
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