From 365Gay.com

Mass. House Leader Predicts Defeat Of Gay Marriage Ban

by Michael J. Meade
365Gay.com Boston Bureau

August 26, 2005

(Boston, Massachusetts) The state's most powerful Democrat is predicting that the Legislature will reject a proposed constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex marriage but allow civil unions.

A join session of the House and Senate will be held September 14 to consider the measure. (story)

''Everybody anticipates that there won't be enough votes to pass this," House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi tells the Boston Globe. ''That seems to be pretty clear."

DiMasi is a longtime supporter of same-sex marriage and LGBT activists hope he's right. They were hoping for more time to lobby lawmakers.

The September 14 date was set by Senate President Robert E. Travaglini who authored the amendment last year as a compromise to one which would have banned both gay marriage and civil unions.

Although Travaglini has been generally supportive of LGBT issues his position on the amendment has frustrated activists in the state.

"Travaglini is a decent guy who knows gay people and cares about gay people. I know that he doesn't want to hurt us, but unfortunately it appears he is doing nothing to help us,'' Arlene Isaacson, a co-chairwoman of the Massachusetts Gay & Lesbian Political Caucus, tells the Boston Herald.

The measure was given preliminary approval last year but needs to pass again in the Convention during this session of the Legislature in order to go to voters. The earliest it could be placed on the ballot would be 2006.

Last March when the proposed amendment passed the first phase, it did so by only a handful of votes and after hours of heated debate. (story) Many Democrats opposed the measure and many Republicans who object to gay marriage voted against it because it would permit civil unions.

No matter what happens in the legislature, a conservative Christian group is pushing its own amendment.

In June, the Massachusetts Family Institute submitted a citizen's initiative petition that would amend the constitution to define marriage as between a man and a woman and bar civil unions.

Gov. Mitt Romney is backing the initiative petition and says he opposes the version the Legislature will consider. He said the Legislature's compromise "muddied" the issue of gay marriage by legalizing civil unions.

The wording of the initiative is now being reviewed by Attorney General Tom Reilly. He has until September 7 - a week before the Legislature considers its version - to decide whether to certify it.

If it is approved, proponents would have to gather about 66,000 certified signatures to get it on the ballot.

Then the measure would have to follow a route similar to the legislative proposal: It must be approved by two consecutive Constitutional Conventions, before being put to the voters in 2008.