US: Bill to be introduced in Kansas would constitutionally ban equal marriage

Jun 27 2013
Written by Joseph McCormick

An amendment to the constitution of the US state of Kansas, to be introduced this week, would define marriage specifically as between one man and one woman.

Yesterday, the federally-sanctioned Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was struck down in the Supreme Court for being unconstitutional.

DOMA effectively did the same thing as the Kansas amendment aims to, however DOMA was a law, subject to constitutionality, and a major section of it was found unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.

A constitutional amendment cannot be found in itself to be unconstitutional.

Representative Tim Huelskamp, who will be introducing the amendment, will require it to be supported by two-thirds of the House and Senate, in order for it to succeed.

Because of recent opinion polls, it looks unlikely that the amendment would have a chance of passing.

Huelskamp, the Representative for Kansas’s first congressional district voiced his opposition to equal marriage in February, claiming that 70% of Americans also oppose it, and saying that Obama wants to “destroy the family.”