In case you missed it: Below is our press release from Friday regarding Pulaski County Circuit Judge Chris Piazza’s ruling striking the Arkansas Marriage Amendment from the Arkansas Constitution.
Little Rock – On Friday, Pulaski County Circuit Judge Chris Piazza released his decision striking down Arkansas Constitutional Amendment 83 which defines marriage as the union of one man and one woman.
Family Council President Jerry Cox said, “Something is terribly wrong when a judge can overturn a good law that was passed in a statewide election by 75% of the people. This is another example of a judge substituting his personal preference for the will of the people.”
Amendment 83 passed with 75% of the vote in November 2004 after the Arkansas Marriage Amendment Committee gathered over 200,000 petition signatures to place the measure on the ballot for a statewide vote.
“As the individual who led the effort to pass Amendment 83, I am extremely disappointed that Judge Piazza has decided that marriage should be redefined. Decisions like this should be left to the people,” Cox said.
“Those who believe this is about equality should ask themselves how much marriage equality they believe in. Once people start redefining marriage, where does that redefinition stop? What about those who believe in polygamy and other definitions of marriage? There is nothing to keep them from asking that their definition of marriage be accepted,” Cox said.
“The marriage of one man to one woman has been a cornerstone of western civilization for thousands of years. This ruling undermines marriage, because once people start redefining marriage, there seems to be no place to stop. The overall marriage rate is in decline, especially in countries where same-sex marriage has been legal for several years. It seems that the end result of this will be fewer marriages overall, and that will not be good for children, and it will not be good for society,” Cox said.
Cox said that he believe Attorney General Dustin McDaniel will appeal the decision to the Arkansas Supreme Court. “This fight isn’t over, and I look forward to a more sensible ruling from the Arkansas Supreme Court,” Cox said.
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