Minnesota Secretary of State Mark
Ritchie has eschewed a title for the state's upcoming anti-gay
marriage amendment proposed by its Republican authors, TheUpTake.org
reported.
The authors wanted their amendment,
which goes before voters in the fall, to be titled, “Recognition of
marriage solely between one man and one woman.”
However, state law provides that the
Secretary of State “shall provide an appropriate title” for each
constitutional amendment and further provides that “the title shall
be approved by the attorney general.”
Ritchie selected and Minnesota Attorney
General Lori Swanson approved the following title: “Limiting the
status of marriage to opposite sex couples.”
The title is important because only the
title and a brief description, not the entire amendment, will appear
on the ballot.
The question will look like this:
“LIMITING THE STATUS OF MARRIAGE TO OPPOSITE SEX COUPLES Shall the
Minnesota Constitution be amended to provide that only a union of one
man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in
Minnesota?”
Governor Mark Dayton's supposedly
symbolic vetoing of the amendment was used as reason for the change.
(Related: Governor
Mark Dayton dreams Minnesota will reject gay marriage ban.)