For Release: Oct. 25, 2006
Contact: J. Tucker Martin or David Clementson
Email: tucker.martin@oag.state.va.us or dclementson@oag.state.va.us
Phone: 804-786-2071
McDonnell, Bolling Voice Support for Marriage Amendment
McDonnell: “Marriage in Virginia must remain the traditional union of one man and one woman.”
Bolling: “Let me be clear about this – there will be no unintended consequences from the passage of this amendment.”
RICHMOND - Attorney General Bob McDonnell and Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling today joined together in a united show of support for passage of the Marriage Amendment this November. Also joining the Attorney General and Lieutenant Governor at the afternoon press conference in Richmond was Delegate Sam Nixon (R-Chesterfield).
Both statewide officeholders, and Delegate Nixon, urged voters to focus on the central issue at hand: what form should marriage take in Virginia? They also reiterated that there is no legal basis for the claims of a flood of “unintended consequences” raised by some amendment opponents.
Attorney General Bob McDonnell noted, “Three-fourths of the members of the General Assembly voted twice in support of placing this marriage amendment before the voters in order to protect the traditional institution of marriage. I urge Virginians to support this measure.”
Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling remarked, “This common sense amendment will simply give constitutional protection to the statutory laws banning same sex marriage and same sex unions that have been in place in Virginia for years. Without this amendment these laws could be struck down at any moment by an activist judge who thinks it is OK for a man to marry a man and a woman to marry a woman. That has happened in other states, and it could happen in Virginia.”
Delegate Sam Nixon added, “This amendment is about defending and protecting traditional marriage in Virginia. We believe that marriage is one of the fundamental building blocks of a healthy society and that we have an obligation to uphold it.”
Both the Attorney General and the Lieutenant Governor have been active in urging support of the Marriage Amendment. In his capacity as the Commonwealth’s top lawyer, McDonnell issued his formal opinion on September 14th that the amendment “….will not affect current legal rights and obligations of unmarried persons involving contracts, wills, advance medical directives, shared equity agreements, employer accident and sickness insurance policies, or protection under domestic violence laws.” Click here to read the full opinion of the Attorney General.
Lieutenant Governor Bolling has spoken in favor of the amendment statewide and recently run radio ads urging Virginians to vote yes in support of traditional marriage.
