Arizona Marriage Amendment Update - SCR 1042 Is It - By Mark R. Kerr

By a vote party-line vote of six Republicans in favor, three Democrats opposed, the House Judiciary Committee gave a collective finger to Vietnam Veterans, as well as Gay and Lesbian Arizonans on Monday, April 21.

During a special meeting of the Judiciary Committee, the strike-everything amendment to SCR (Senate Concurrent Resolution) 1042, gutting language honoring Vietnam Veterans and inserting a proposed state constiutional amendment, defining marriage "as between one man and one woman." State Representative Eddie Farnsworth, R-Mesa, offered the amendment again, with the blessing of House Speaker, state Representative Jim Weiers, R-Phoenix.

If this sounds familar, these events took place on Thursday, April 17, when the same amendment was approved by the House Judiciary Committee but had to be reconsidered, due to a glitch in the language of the original measure, which had received unanimous approval by the Senate on March 26.

So the chances of the amendment's proponents, Cathi Herrod and the anti-LGBT Center for Arizona Policy, in getting their potential $500,000 free handout as previously reported in this blog, with the placement on the November ballot have greatly increased.

This is especially due to the actions of their minions in the Arizona House leadership which has schedule a vote by the Rules Committee for 9:00 a.m., tomorrow (Tuesday, April 22), consideration by the House Caucuses and then a vote by the House Committee of the Whole in the afternoon.

It seems that SCR 1042 will be ram-rodded through the House if the Republicans in this chamber get their way, which then the Senate will consider the bill in a concur/refuse vote.

So the pending budget crisis for the next fiscal year, the economic downtown, the rising foreclosure rates and the financial cataclysm aren't the real problems or honoring those who fought in Vietnam aren't part of the GOP picture. Queer bashing is the Republican mantra, especially during another election year, to hide the fact of their shabby track record.

Let your state Representatives and Senator know that this is a waste of tax-payers time and money. Go online to and let them know of your opposition to SCR 1042