HomeMy WebLinkAbout947 - EXPRESSING opposition to the Federal Marriage Amendment & support for the Issuance of BoulderRESOLtIT[ON NO 947
A RLSOLV110N LXl'RI;SSiNG OPPOSPTION 'f0 'I'HL~
[EDI:RAL MARRIACI: AMENDMENT TO THG U S
CONSTITLITInN AND SUPPORT FOR CHALLF,NGING OR
REPEALING COLORAUO LAW5 THA'I' PROH[B1T
iSSUANCL Ol~ SAMG SEX MARRiAUE LICENSES
WIIF,RP,AS, Colaadds Representauve to the Umicd Slatus Coug~ess iiom lhe ~ourlh
Cong~ess~onal District, Maiilyn Musgiavq has m~ioduccd the Fede~al Mari~age nmcndment, :t
iesolution to amend Ihe UniLed States ConstrtuUon to dcime maiiiagc as belwcen ~ man ~tnd a
woman, and
WITEREAS, Coloiadde Umted States Senalor Wayne Allaid hav sponsoied a cornpamon
bill ofi thc Federal Muuage Amendmenl in thc United Slales Senate, and
WftLRBAS, some membeis of tlie Coloiado House of Represenlalives of Lhe S~x~y-
Fouith Geneial Assenibly have iequested thal all membcrs of Coloiado deiegahon to the Uiuted
States House ot Repiesentalives and the U~uled States Senate supporL the Tederal Mauiagc
Amcndment Lo the Uiuled S(ales Constitulion, and
WH[,REAS, amendmg itle Uniled States Conslitution ~5 veiy iaie and ~s only done to
address gieat public polrcy need, ln tlie 2]6 yeais smce ialilicaiion of lhe ConsliiuLion, it has
only been amended ]7 tiine~, iust to mclude the Bill oi Ri~hts (thc inst 10 Amendmcnts), and
gcue~ally ihc~caftci to piotect o~ expand people's rights; and
Wl-IL~RL~AS, the pioposed Federxl Mariiage Amendment would nol only deny ~xiarriage
to same sex couples, but could also deuy any slate leg~slalure oi elecloiaLe hom ever vo~mg to
pas~ the~r own titatds civ~l uma~ oi marriagc laws, and
WHF,RtiAS, undei the Fedeial M~uiiage Amendment, courl~s could be baiied f~om
enlorcmg the ]egal pioteclion5 Ihat a legislatuie piovides thiouglt c~vil umon lawti, and
WHEREAS, many of lhc ma~or civil itghls advances of thc last century l~ave resulted
irom Lhe ~udici~l branch eteppmg m to ensuie that all tlma•icans ;ire piovided equal pioteclion
undct Lhe law. ~rom I3row~t v 13oard of L'du~utinr~ (]954) lo Lonrng v Va~~tn~a (1967) to
Lawrence ancl Garner v 7'exas (2003), the couits have piovided a necesaaiy and constituuon~i]
check on goveinmental abuses of power and violalions of mdividual rigllls, and
WHEREAS, lhc Crty of Bouldc~ has becn, and remams, committecl to tlie proteciion o{
civii nghts fot all people as cxpiessed in the Umted Slalev and thc Colorado Coneutudona and
Lhc Cily of Bouldei Numan Righls Oidmance, and
WHi;RI;AS, the Gty o1 Boulde~ p~ov~des ~i voluntaiy piogram o1 registial~on of
domcitic }~aitncr5. 'Phc domestic pailneiship iegisl~y iv a mcanti by which unma~-ricd, committed
couplcs wlio shaie a life and home to~elhei may documerit theu ~clationship.
K\Hh IL I1R-9h7 yi [ Aoc
IVOW, 'I'HERffi~O[2L, Bh, IT RL'SOLVGD BY TH>; Cl'I'Y COt1NCiL OF THC: Cl'7'Y
OF BOUT.DFR, COLORADO
Section 1 The ('qty of Boulder has been, and remains, f~unly commrtted to the protcct~on
of civil lights toi all people as outlined m the City of Boulder Human Rights Ordinance
Section 2 The City of Boulder iecogui7es the many cont~ihuUons that lls gay, lesbian,
bisexual and transgendei residents have provided that have enhanced the lives of all m the
community.
Section 3 The federal government should not mtericie m the states' powers to permit any
two umclated individuals to choose to many and shale fully and equally m the lights,
responsibilities and commitment of civil man rage.
Section 4 The City of Boalder opposes amendments to the United Slates Constitution
and to the Colorado Conshtuhon that would proh~bri macitage between any two commtted,
consenting, and umclated adults.
Section 5 The City of Bocddei will contact United States Senators Allard and Nighthorsc
Campbell and Representative Udall to mgc them to oppose amendments to the United States
Constitution that would have the effect of prohibiting mauiage between any two committed,
consenting, and umclated adults
Section 6 The City of Boulder will encomagc and actively partimpatc with the County
Connmss~oncis, County Clerk, and County Attomcy, to explore and pursue ways m which the
Colorado state law prohibiting the issuance of same sex mauiage licenses can be challenged
legally or repealed legrslattvely
Section 7 The City Council of the City o1 Boulder requests the Boulder County
Comnvss~oners to direct the County Attorney to evaluate and advise upon the constitutionality of
Section 14-2-104, C12.S ,and, if deterimned unconstitutional, to request the County Clerk to
issue marriage hcenses to any two committed, consenting, and unrelated aduhs
Scedon K The City urges Congress and the Colorado General Assembly to enact
legislahou to cccogmze any pan of adults who enter into a lifetime commitment of domestic
partnership through maucage, cavil union, oc otherwise, and make such pan of adults entitled to
all relevant coromerc~al, local, state, and federal benefits and obhgahons now accruing to paihcs
historically known as "man red couples "
K VI IS RT1R-90.7 yi l doe
Section 9 The Clerk of the City of I3ouldcr attests and affixes the scal of the Cdy of
Boulder to this resolution
APPROVED this 18°' day of May, 2004
.~
Mayor
ATT
Clly Clcrk on bchall'of t$e
Director of Finance and Record
K \H S R IlR-947 p l Aoc
3