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Kentucky Constitutional Amendment 1[3] of 2004, is an amendment to the Kentucky Constitution that made it unconstitutional for the state to recognize or perform same-sex marriages or civil unions. The referendum was approved by 75% of the voters.[4]
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Are you in favor of amending the Kentucky Constitution to provide that only a marriage between one man and one woman shall be a marriage in Kentucky, and that a legal status identical to or similar to marriage for unmarried individuals shall not be valid or recognized? | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Results | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Results by county
Yes 90–100% 80–90% 70–80% 60–70% 50–60%
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| Source: [1][2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Text
editThe text of the amendment states:
Only a marriage between one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in Kentucky. A legal status identical or substantially similar to that of marriage for unmarried individuals shall not be valid or recognized.[5]
Legislative history
editAmendments to the Kentucky Constitution require 3/5 support in both houses of the General Assembly and a majority vote by referendum; they can not be vetoed by the governor. The amendment was first introduced in the 2004 Kentucky General Assembly as Senate Bill 245. The bill subsequently passed both houses.
First Senate vote
editThe bill was initially passed by the senate on March 11 by a 33–4 vote.
House vote
edit
The bill was approved by the house, with an amendment, on April 12 by a 85–11 vote.
| Party | Votes for | Votes against | Not voting | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic (64) | 51 | 3 | ||
| Republican (36) | 34 | 1 | ||
| Total (100) | 85 | 11 | 4 | |
Second Senate vote
edit
The bill was approved by the senate again, with the house amendment, on April 13 by a 33–5 vote.
| Party | Votes for | Votes against | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic (16) | 12 | ||
| Republican (22) | 21 | ||
| Total (38) | 33 | 5 | |
Legal challenges
editOn September 10, 2013, the Kentucky Equality Federation sued the Commonwealth of Kentucky in Franklin Circuit Court claiming Kentucky's 2004 Constitutional Amendment banning same-sex marriage violated sections of the commonwealth's constitution. Case # 13-CI-1074 was assigned by the Franklin County Court Clerk (the location of the Kentucky State Capitol). The lawsuit was conceived by President Jordan Palmer, written and signed by Vice President of Legal Jillian Hall, Esq. On April 16, 2015, the case was decided in favor of the plaintiff by Franklin County Circuit Court Judge Thomas D. Wingate.
This provision also became void in 2015 when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Obergefell v. Hodges that the fundamental right to marry is guaranteed to same-sex couples by both the Due Process Clause and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.
Results
edit| Choice | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
 Yes
|
1,222,125 | 74.55 |
| No | 417,097 | 25.45 |
| Total votes | 1,639,222 | 100.00 |
| Registered voters/turnout | 3,057,741 | 53.6 |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ KENTUCKY STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS REPORT OF "OFFICIAL" ELECTION NIGHT TALLY RESULTS TIME OF REPORT: 09:16:22 DATE OF REPORT: 11/24/04
- ^ OFFICIAL GENERAL ELECTION RESULTS FOR UNITED STATES PRESIDENT NOVEMBER 2, 2004
- ^ 2004 Election Night Tally Results Archived 2009-03-04 at the Wayback Machine, Kentucky State Board of Elections. Accessed 18 December 2006.
- ^ CNN.com Election 2004 - Ballot Measures Archived September 6, 2013, at the Wayback Machine Accessed 30 November 2006.
- ^ Kentucky Constitution, Section 233A Archived 2007-03-09 at the Wayback Machine, Kentucky Legislature. Accessed 18 December 2006.
- ^ "2004 General Election Turnout Rates". United States Election Project. June 4, 2013. Archived from the original on July 9, 2013.