The voters of 30 states—including our neighbors in South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia and Virginia—have had the opportunity to vote on and adopt Marriage Protection Amendments (MPA). North Carolina stands out as the only state in
the southern United States whose citizens have been prevented from doing so as a direct result of legislative inaction.
Last summer, for the sixth consecutive year in a row, the General Assembly closed the legislative session without considering legislation that would give North Carolinians the opportunity to vote on a MPA. As in previous sessions,
the leadership of both chambers refused to allow the bills to be brought up for consideration. But this May, when the “Short” legislative session convenes in Raleigh, state lawmakers will get another chance to consider legislation that would place the MPA question on the ballot for the people of North Carolina to decide.
It might be surprising to some that North Carolina-- the home of Billy Graham, and considered by some to be the "buckle" in the Bible Belt-- is one of only twenty states not to have a MPA. We are increasingly finding our state among the lower half on various issues. And we continue to "distinguish" ourselves among all the southern states.
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