Nebraska Initiative Measure 416, Definition of Marriage Amendment (2000)
| Nebraska Initiative Measure 416 | |
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| Topic Family-related policy and LGBTQ issues |
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| Status |
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| Type Initiated constitutional amendment |
Origin |
Nebraska Initiative Measure 416 was on the ballot as an initiated constitutional amendment in Nebraska on November 7, 2000. The amendment was overturned in 2015.
A "yes" vote supported providing that only marriage between a man and a woman would be recognized in the state, and providing that the union of two people of the same sex in a civil union, domestic partnership or other similar same-sex relationship would not be valid or recognized in Nebraska. |
A "no" vote opposed providing that only marriage between a man and a woman would be recognized in the state, and providing that the union of two people of the same sex in a civil union, domestic partnership or other similar same-sex relationship would not be valid or recognized in Nebraska. |
Election results
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Nebraska Initiative Measure 416 |
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| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
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477,571 | 70.10% | ||
| No | 203,667 | 29.90% | ||
Overview
What was this amendment designed to do?
This amendment was designed to provide that only marriage between a man and a woman would be recognized in the state, and provide that the union of two people of the same sex in a civil union, domestic partnership or other similar same-sex relationship would not be valid or recognized in Nebraska.[1]
Aftermath
U.S. District Court
Judge Joseph Bataillon of the U.S. District Court for Nebraska stuck down the state's ban on same-sex marriages. He deemed the ban an "unabashedly gender-specific infringement of the equal rights of its citizens."[2]
On March 6, 2015, the U.S. Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals put Bataillon's ruling on hold. The court scheduled arguments for the case, which also included similar bans in South Dakota, Arkansas and Missouri, on May 11, 2015.[3]
U.S. Supreme Court
- See also: Obergefell v. Hodges
On June 26, 2015, the United States Supreme Court ruled that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marriage under the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution in the case Obergefell v. Hodges. The ruling overturned bans on same-sex marriage.[4]
Justice Anthony Kennedy authored the opinion and Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan joined. Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito each authored a dissent.[5]
Text of measure
Ballot title
The ballot title for Initiative Measure 416 was as follows:
| “ | Shall the Nebraska Constitution be amended to provide that only marriage between a man and a woman shall be valid or recognized in Nebraska, and to provide further that the uniting of two persons of the same sex in a civil union, domestic partnership, or other similar same-sex relationship shall not be valid or recognized in Nebraska? [ ] For [ ] Against | ” |
Ballot summary
The ballot summary for this measure was:
| “ |
A vote FOR will amend the Nebraska Constitution to provide that only marriage between a man and a woman shall be valid or recognized in Nebraska, and to provide that the uniting of two persons of the same sex in a civil union, domestic partnership or other similar same-sex relationship shall not be valid or recognized in Nebraska. A vote AGAINST will not amend the Nebraska Constitution in the manner described above. | ” |
Full Text
The full text of this measure is available here.
Support
Supporters
Organizations
- Coalition for Protection of Marriage
- Nebraska Catholic Conference
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Opposition
Opponents
Organizations
Background
Related measures
Between 1998 and 2012, voters in 30 states approved ballot measures that defined marriage as between one male and one female or otherwise prohibited same-sex marriage. The U.S. Supreme Court invalidated bans on same-sex marriage in the case Obergefell v. Hodges in 2015.
- 1998: Alaska
- 2000: Nebraska
- 2002: Nevada
- 2004: Arkansas
- 2004: Georgia
- 2004: Kentucky
- 2004: Louisiana
- 2004: Michigan
- 2004: Mississippi
- 2004: Missouri
- 2004: Montana
- 2004: North Dakota
- 2004: Ohio
- 2004: Oklahoma
- 2004: Oregon
- 2004: Utah
- 2005: Kansas
- 2005: Texas
- 2006: Alabama
- 2006: Colorado
- 2006: Idaho
- 2006: South Carolina
- 2006: South Dakota
- 2006: Tennessee
- 2006: Virginia
- 2006: Wisconsin
- 2008: Arizona
- 2008: California
- 2008: Florida
- 2012: North Carolina
Path to the ballot
The person leading the campaign and petition drive to place the initiative on the ballot was Guyla Mills, director of Nebraska Family Council.
See also
External links
- Nebraska Legislature
- 2000 Sample Ballot
- Nebraska Blue Book 2008-09
- 2000 Election Results
- Informational pamphlet from Nebraska SOS
- Californians, take a lesson from Nebraska (dead link)
- Initiative 416, timeline of events
Footnotes
- ↑ Nebraska Legislature, "Statistics on Constitutional Amendments, Initiated and Referred Measures," accessed July 10, 2015
- ↑ Reuters, "U.S. judge rules Nebraska same-sex marriage ban unconstitutional," March 2, 2015
- ↑ Omaha World‑Herald, "Same-sex marriages in Nebraska on hold after circuit court stays ruling," March 6, 2015
- ↑ NPR, "Supreme Court Declares Same-Sex Marriage Legal In All 50 States," June 26, 2015
- ↑ Supreme Court of the United States, "Obergefell v. Hodges," June 26, 2015
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