North Carolina Senator Kay Hagan has
come out against a proposed constitutional amendment which would ban
gay marriage in the state.
Voters will decide on the measure
during North Carolina's May 8 presidential primary.
If approved, the amendment would bar
North Carolina from recognizing the relationships of gay and lesbian
couples with marriage, civil unions and possibly domestic
partnerships.
“In today's hyper partisan political
environment, I view any attempt to alter our state constitution with
a critical eye,” Hagan, a Democrat, said in a statement released to
the media.
“Amendment One has far-reaching
negative consequences for our families, our children and our
communities. North Carolina is one of the most business-friendly
states in the nation, and this amendment would harm our state's
ability to recruit the innovators and businesses that are driving our
economic recovery. Jobs are my number one priority, and we cannot
afford to take our eye off the ball and give businesses a reason to
grow and expand elsewhere,” she said.
Republican Senator Richard Burr, North
Carolina's senior senator, has not spoken directly on the amendment,
but he has previously supported an amendment to the Constitution
which would define marriage as a heterosexual union.
“None of us ever want to change the
Constitution,” Burr said during a 2004 debate. “But I can't
think of any institution more important in this country than marriage
being between a man and a woman.”