Text of US SB 2980 (2010)
A bill to protect the democratic process and the right of the people of the District of Columbia to define marriage.
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As introduced
2,528 characters
II
111TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
S. 2980
To protect the democratic process and the right of the people of the District
of Columbia to define marriage.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
FEBRUARY 2, 2010
Mr. BENNETT (for himself, Mr. CORNYN, Mr. WICKER, Mr. VITTER, Mr.
ENZI, Mr. BROWNBACK, Mr. INHOFE, Mr. ROBERTS, and Mr. HATCH)
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
A BILL
To protect the democratic process and the right of the people
of the District of Columbia to define marriage.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. FINDINGS.
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Congress finds that—
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(1) a broad coalition of residents of the District
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of Columbia petitioned for an initiative in accord-
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ance with the District of Columbia Home Rule Act
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to establish that ‘‘only marriage between a man and
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•S 2980 IS
a woman is valid or recognized in the District of Co-
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lumbia’’;
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(2) this petition anticipated the Council of the
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District of Columbia’s passage of an Act legalizing
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same-sex marriage;
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(3) the unelected District of Columbia Board of
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Elections and Ethics and the unelected District of
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Columbia Superior Court thwarted the residents’ ini-
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tiative effort to define marriage democratically, hold-
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ing that the initiative amounted to discrimination
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prohibited by the District of Columbia Human
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Rights Act; and
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(4) the definition of marriage affects every per-
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son and should be debated openly and democrat-
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ically.
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SEC. 2. REFERENDUM OR INITIATIVE REQUIREMENT.
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Notwithstanding any other provision of law, including
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the District of Columbia Human Rights Act, the govern-
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ment of the District of Columbia shall not issue a mar-
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riage license to any couple of the same sex until the people
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of the District of Columbia have the opportunity to hold
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a referendum or initiative on the question of whether the
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District of Columbia should issue same-sex marriage li-
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censes.
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Æ
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