Dem Leaders Bury Marriage Protection Bill

Senate GOP Leader: Gov. Henry’s failure to intervene is “troublesome”

The pro-gay marriage Democrat leadership of the Oklahoma State Senate Thursday killed SJR 38 by refusing to give the legislation a hearing in the Senate Human Resources Committee.

The bill, by Senate Republican Leader James A. Williamson, R-Tulsa, would send to a vote of the people a state constitutional amendment that defines marriage as between one man and one woman.

Senate President Pro Tem Cal Hobson, D-Lexington, assigned SJR 38 to the Senate Human Resources Committee, chaired by pro-gay marriage Senator Bernest Cain, D-Oklahoma City.

“The fix was in from the start when Senator Hobson assigned the bill to a committee chairman who opposes protecting marriage, instead of to the Judiciary Committee where most marriage bills are heard,” said Williamson.

“All we are asking is for Senators to have a chance to vote on this important issue, just as other state legislatures from Ohio to Georgia are doing. But the Democrat leader of the Senate will not allow the Oklahoma Senate to work its will to protect traditional marriage from the assault that is underway by activist judges and renegade mayors from Massachusetts to San Francisco,” Williamson said.

“It is also troublesome that despite Governor Henry’s recent statements that he favors protecting marriage, he apparently made no effort to convince his fellow Democrats to allow a Senate committee hearing and vote on the defense of marriage amendment,” Williamson said.

Cain recently stated that anyone who opposes same-sex marriages is a “bigot,” while Hobson has said protecting traditional marriage from activist judges is a non-issue and called the author of another marriage protection bill a “lemming.”

“It should be very worrisome to the people of Oklahoma just how out of step the majority leadership of the Oklahoma Senate is compared to the rest of us here in Oklahoma. By not allowing the people to vote to protect traditional marriage, the Democrat leadership is showing that they are way out in left field compared to the citizens of this state,” Williamson said.

Williamson said despite the determination of Hobson and Cain to keep the state Senate from considering marriage protection measures on the Senate floor, pro-family senators of both parties will make every effort to ensure the people of Oklahoma have the opportunity to provide constitutional protections to traditional marriage in 2004.

“The good news is that Senators Hobson and Cain won’t have the last say on this issue. The people of Oklahoma will,” Williamson concluded.