A petition effort to reinstate a
recently repealed law that barred non-resident gay and lesbian
couples from marrying in Massachusetts is moving forward, reports The
Boston Globe.
The referendum seeks to once again ban
out-of-state same-sex couples from marrying in the state if their
union would be illegal in their home state.
“After a thorough review by our
office, we have concluded that this referendum petition has met the
technical requirements that govern such petitions,” Attorney
General Martha Coakley said in a statement. “Our decision that
this referendum meets the Constitutional requirements as to subject
matter does not mean that it has our support, but simply that the
constitutional requirements are met for the proponents of the
referendum to obtain further signatures.”
To secure a position on the November
2010 ballot, the anti gay marriage group Mass Resistance must gather
signatures from 33,297 registered voters by October 29th.
The law, often called the 1913 law, was
repealed just last month. New York and Rhode Island are among the
states that have said they would accept gay marriages performed
elsewhere, including Canada, California and Massachusetts. Neither
offers marriage to gay couples.