Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum
Last week, Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum announced the state would not defend its marriage ban in court.
Oregon is the only state on the West Coast without marriage equality, although the state recognizes marriages performed elsewhere and has a domestic partnership law. Since the U.S. Supreme Court decision in June that declared parts of the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional, domestic partnerships are not recognized by the federal government as equivalent to marriage, and no federal benefits are derived.
Oregon United for Marriage collected petitions to get a measure on the ballot to repeal a 2004 constitutional amendment that voters passed. Opponents are working to put an Arizona-style gay discrimination law on the November ballot.
Because of the change in political climate and after seven judges have declared other constitutional amendments illegal in the past two months, Oregon United for Marriage thinks spending money on a repeal election is a waste of money.
The Oregonian thinks differently. In an editorial, the newspaper argues that Oregon voters have the right to undo a wrong it did in 2004 and would like to see marriage equality voted into law.
Oregon United for Marriage’s campaign manager Mike Marshall told the Oregonian he doesn’t like the idea of other people voting on his marriage.
