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R. S. SMITH, J.:We hold that the New York Constitution does not compel recognition of marriages between members of the same sex. Whether such marriages should be recognized is a question to be addressed by the Legislature.Facts and Procedural History Plaintiffs and petitioners (hereafter plaintiffs) are the members of 44 same-sex couples. Each couple tried unsuccessfully to obtain a marriage license. Plaintiffs then began these four lawsuits, seeking declaratory judgments that the restriction of marriage to opposite-sex couples is invalid under the State Constitution. Defendants and respondents (hereafter defendants) are the license-issuing authorities of New York City, Albany and Ithaca;...

On the Virginia ballot this November 7 ....... VAforMarriage.org, http://www.va4marriage.org/index.html , is a non-partisan state ballot committee dedicated to passing a state constitutional amendment in Virginia defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman. Visit http://www.va4marriage.org/index.html and join the campaign today!

Join the campaign to pass a state marriage amendment in South Carolina this November. SCforMarriage.org, http://www.scformarriage.org, is a non-partisan state ballot committee dedicated to passing a state constitutional amendment in South Carolina defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman. Visit http://www.scformarriage.org and join the campaign today!

Taking on Governor Mitt Romney and the Catholic Archdiocese of Boston, 165 prominent business and civic leaders are publicly calling for the Legislature to reject a proposed constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. The group, which includes leading bankers, healthcare executives, lawyers, and leaders of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, has purchased an ad in The Boston Globe that says the amendment would "take away rights." It urges lawmakers to "move on to other important issues like strengthening the economy, improving our schools, and protecting our neighborhoods." [...] The amendment needs the support of 50 lawmakers during the current and...

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ALBANY -- New York's highest court ruled Thursday that gay marriage is not allowed under state law. The Court of Appeals in a 4-2 decision rejected arguments from gay and lesbian plaintiffs throughout the state that their inability to get marriage licences in New York violated their constitutional rights. Judge Robert Smith said New York's marriage law clearly limits marriage to between a man and a woman and any change in the law should come from the state Legislature.

FINAL VOTE RESULTS FOR ROLL CALL 484(Republicans in roman; Democrats in italic; Independents underlined)       H J RES 106      2/3 YEA-AND-NAY      30-Sep-2004      5:25 PM       QUESTION:  On Passage       BILL TITLE: Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relating to marriage Yeas Nays PRES NV Republican 191 27   9 Democratic 36 158   11 Independent   1     TOTALS 227 186   20 ---- YEAS    227 --- Aderholt Akin Alexander Bachus Baker Ballenger Barrett (SC) Bartlett (MD) Barton (TX) BeauprezBerry BilirakisBishop (GA) Bishop (UT) Blackburn Blunt Boehner Bonilla Bonner BoozmanBoucherBoyd Bradley (NH) Brady (TX) Brown (SC) Brown-Waite, Ginny Burgess Burns Burr Burton (IN) Buyer...

ALBANY, N.Y. - The top courts in two states dealt setbacks to the gay marriage movement Thursday, with New York's highest court ruling same-sex unions are not allowed under state law and the Georgia Supreme Court reinstating a voter-approved ban on gay marriage. In New York, the Court of Appeals said in a 4-2 decision that the state's marriage law is constitutional and clearly limits marriage to a union between a man and a woman. Any change in the law would have to come from the state Legislature, Judge Robert Smith said. "We do not predict what people will think...

Details to come.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The New York State Court of Appeals refused to recognize same-sex marriage in a ruling issued on Thursday, saying the issue was a question for the Legislature to decide. The New York case involved 48 gay and lesbian couples who filed four separate cases seeking to overturn as unconstitutional a 97-year-old state law that defines marriage as between a man and woman. The couples claimed the law violated their constitutional rights because it defended sex discrimination. The cases were heard together by the court in Albany. "We hold that the New York Constitution does not compel...

The New York Court of Appeals ruled this morning that the state Constitution does not guarantee a right to marriage for same-sex couples, and that state lawmakers, not the courts, are better suited to consider the issue. In a 4-2 decision that has been eagerly awaited by both sides in the gay marriage debate, the court, the highest in the state's judiciary system, concluded that the legislature could have "a rational basis" for limiting marriage to heterosexual couples, in large part because of their ability to bear children. The court did not rule that the state should not or could...

Inaction aborts gay-marriage bill Lawmakers fail to agree on amendment For now, Pennsylvania will not join 20 states that have put gay marriage bans into their state constitutions. The Legislature left Harrisburg early Sunday without coming to an agreement on the wording of a proposed amendment to restrict the definition of marriage as a union between a man and a woman. Social conservatives pushed for the amendment out of fear a court might rule the state's 10-year-old marriage-protection law unconstitutional, as has occurred in other states. Such a ruling could clear the way for gay and lesbian unions. Lawmakers' failure...

PHOENIX -- Foes of a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage are accumulating a larger warchest than proponents. New financial disclosure forms show that Arizona Together, the group organized to fight the initiative, has collected more than $523,000 so far. Even with expenses to set up two statewide offices, hire consultants and rent, it still had $244,187 on hand at the end of May, the most recent figures available. By contrast, donations to Protect Marriage Arizona as of that same May 31 date tallied $377,155. But with expenses to gather signatures using paid circulators and other consultant fees, the group...

Approaching the verdant valley with its cornfields, tiny meandering creek, and the old farmhouse brought back so many memories; in fact this valley is filled with memories of the long-gone laughter of children playing and of a family working together. The hills echo with the shouts of Frank Smith and the boys as they called across the hills to tell Mom they were on the way home for lunch in a time gone by. It holds memories for me too; 40-some years ago I came down the same road to meet my husband’s parents for the first time. The final...

Rhode Island gay couple asks Massachusetts court to let them marry [JURIST] A same-sex couple argued in court in Boston Monday that a 1913 Massachusetts law [text] should not prevent them from marrying in the state because statutes in their home state of Rhode Island do not explicitly ban gay marriage. Mary Norton and Mary Becker [GLAD profiles], represented by an attorney with the Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) [advocacy website], said the law prohibiting same-sex couples from pursuing a marriage in Massachusetts does not apply to Rhode Island residents [GLAD legal brief, PDF] because there is no...

Constitutional Convention? Supporters of a constitutional amendment to keep the courts from legalizing homosexual marriage, stunned by poor support in the recent Senate vote, are beginning a campaign for a constitutional convention. The provision of the Constitution's Article V requiring such a convention if called by two-thirds of the state legislatures has never been used. Fear of throwing the Constitution open to general amendment has overridden support for specific issues. However, key advocates of barring gay marriages believe the constitutional convention strategy will keep the issue alive. A recent memo circulated within the anti-gay marriage coalition lists Princeton Professor Robby...

Pro: Amendment needed to prevent courts from nullifying will of 45 states The writer is addressing the question, "Should Congress continue to pursue a constitutional amendment defining marriage as solely between a man and a woman?" WASHINGTON - The United States needs to nail down the definition of marriage and its singular role in our culture. The most recent attempt, the Marriage Protection Amendment, was poorly worded and it went down to defeat in the Senate, but a new amendment should already be on the drawing board. A constitutional amendment is required because one state legislator or a few judges...

Senate passes marriage amendment HARRISBURG — The Senate and House are divided on language to ban gay marriage in the state Constitution, and the long-term political ramifications of their efforts could be huge. If the chambers agree on a plan soon, it could sway the election for the next U.S. president, analysts and critics say. The Senate approved the latest version of a proposed constitutional amendment yesterday by a vote of 38-12, with Lebanon County Sen. David J. Brightbill voting for it. It kicks back to the House, which approved a different version two weeks ago. The chambers disagree on...

BYU fires teacher over op-ed stance Same-sex marriage: His idea that church leaders are misguided didn't sit well PROVO - As an American citizen, Jeffrey Nielsen felt compelled to publicly question the LDS Church's opposition to same-sex marriage. As a Brigham Young University instructor, he now is paying the price. The LDS-owned school will not rehire Nielsen after spring term because of his remarks in an op-ed piece earlier this month. "I believe opposing gay marriage and seeking a constitutional amendment against it is immoral," the part-time philosophy teacher and practicing Latter-day Saint wrote in the June 4 Salt Lake...

Pennsylvania Senate Committee Approves Weakened Same-Sex Marriage Bill (CNSNews.com) - Pennsylvania's Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday approved a ban on same-sex marriage, but conservatives say they weakened the bill by changing the language to allow civil unions between homosexuals. "If the Senate is not willing to deal with the issue of marriage in its entirety - same-sex marriage and civil unions - then they send the clear message to their constituents that they are not willing to take the tough stand necessary to protect one man one woman marriage," said American Family Association of Pennsylvania President Diane Gramley. According to...