Just months after the hateful and discriminatory anti-marriage amendment failed in Arizona, lawmakers are now considering taking the issue up themselves in a blatant attempt to overturn the will of Arizona voters.

Via 365gay:
A group of Republican lawmakers on Wednesday filed a proposed amendment banning same-sex marriage in the only state where voters have already rejected a similar ban.

The new bill, introduced in the state House of Representatives, defines marriage as the union of one man and one woman, but does not contain additional language also banning civil unions and domestic partner benefits that voters found difficult to accept in the previous amendment.

Last November the state became the first in the nation to defeat a constitutional ban on gay marriage.

A survey taken following the vote showed Arizona voters were concerned about the broad nature of the proposed amendment. Groups fighting against it had pointed out that it would affect thousands of unmarried opposite-sex couples in the state.

State Reps. Russell Pearce, Trish Groe and Rick Murphy, all Republicans, say the new measure has wide support within the state GOP.

The Catholic Church and evangelical Protestants support a gay marriage ban and are likely to throw their support behind the new measure.

US Sens. Jon Kyl and John McCain, a GOP presidential hopeful also support a ban on same-sex marriage.

Arizona already has legislation limiting marriage to opposite-sex couples, but the three lawmakers said they feared the law could be overturned in court.

If the new proposed amendment passes both chambers of the Legislature, which is likely, it would be put on the November 2008 ballot.

Labels: Arizona, constitutional amendment, marriage