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Briefing Book
News and views from the Louisiana Capitol
Sunday, September 05, 2004TOP OF THE NEWS
Amendment analysis
The Public Affairs Research Council has issued its analysis of the proposed state constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex marriage and bar recognition of other such unions, the only statewide measure on the Sept. 18 ballot. PAR President Jim Brandt said the proposal would define marriage in the state Constitution as a union of one man and one woman and prohibit state officials from recognizing same-sex unions performed in other states. It also would bar Louisiana from recognizing "any legal status that is identical or substantially similar to that of marriage for any unmarried individuals," including opposite-sex couples. Brandt said legal experts are divided on the proposal's potential impact on the validity of some contracts between couples, same-sex or opposite-sex. PAR does not take a stand on the issue but presents the arguments on both sides, Brandt said. Copies of the analysis, researched by PAR staff attorney and research analyst Charlotte Bergeron, are available for $3 each by writing the Public Affairs Research Council, P.O. Box 14776, Baton Rouge, LA, 70898-4776; by calling 1(225) 926-8414; or by sending an e-mail to staff@la-par.org. Brandt said bulk orders will get a discounted rate. The analysis, he said, also is available at the organization's Web site, www.la-par.org.
