Initiative filed for public vote on Defense of Marriage Act

The following is a release from David Ammons, communications director for the Office of the Secretary of State.

Everett attorney Stephen Pidgeon has filed an initiative that would essentially be a public vote on the state’s Defense of Marriage Act.

Here is the text:

AN ACT Relating to reaffirming the definition of marriage as being between one man and one woman; amending RCW 26.04.010 and 26.04.020; and creating new sections.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. This act reaffirms the definition of marriage as being between one man and one woman.

Sec. 2. RCW 26.04.010 and 1998 c 1 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Marriage is a civil contract between ((a male)) one man and ((a female)) one woman who have each attained the age of eighteen years, and who are otherwise capable.

(2) Every marriage entered into in which either the husband or the wife has not attained the age of seventeen years is void except where this section has been waived by a superior court judge of the county in which one of the parties resides on a showing of necessity

Sec. 3. RCW 26.04.020 and 1998 c 1 s 4 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Marriages in the following cases are prohibited:

(a) When either party thereto has a wife or husband living at the time of such marriage;

(b) When the husband and wife are nearer of kin to each other than second cousins, whether of the whole or half blood computing by the rules of the civil law; or

(c) When the parties are persons other than ((a male)) one man and ((a female)) one woman.

(2) It is unlawful for any man to marry his father’s sister, mother’s sister, daughter, sister, son’s daughter, daughter’s daughter, brother’s daughter or sister’s daughter; it is unlawful for any woman to marry her father’s brother, mother’s brother, son, brother, son’s son, daughter’s son, brother’s son or sister’s son.

(3) A marriage between two persons that is recognized as valid in another jurisdiction is valid in this state only if the marriage is not prohibited or made unlawful under subsection (1)(a), (1)(c), or (2) of this section.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. This act shall be cited as the marriage is between one man and one woman act.

— END –

Pidgeon, who works with Protect Marriage Washington and attorney James Bopp Jr., listed his phone number as (425) 605-4774.

To secure a place on the November ballot would require 241,153 valid signatures of registered Washington voters by early July. The state Elections Division recommends initiative sponsors submit at least 320,000 signatures, to cover duplicate and invalid signatures.

The state elections webpage includes this list of 2012 initiatives:

http://tinyurl.com/7keplpk

The text can be found by clicking on the yellow bar of the initiative you choose.