An Arkansas Republican has introduced a
bill that calls for a constitutional convention to ban same-sex
marriage throughout the United States.
According to Law
Newz, state Senator Jason Rapert introduced SJR7 on Thursday. It
calls for a constitutional convention “for the purpose of proposing
an amendment prohibiting the United States Constitution or the
Constitution or Laws of any state from defining or construing the
definition of 'marriage' to mean anything other than the union of one
man and one woman.”
“I think the country now knows the
silent majority is out there and they spoke during the 2016 election,
and they're going to speak again,” Rapert told KATV.
The Supreme Court in 2015 found that
gay and lesbian couples have a constitutional right to marry,
striking down laws and constitutional amendments in many states,
including in Arkansas, that defined marriage as solely a heterosexual
union.
(Related: Trump
“fine” with Supreme Court gay marriage ruling.)
A constitutional convention can be
called by 34 state legislatures. A proposed amendment becomes law
when 38 states approve it.