NEW ORLEANS—The Louisiana Supreme Court today heard arguments in an appeal of a lower court’s decision to overturn the state’s popular constitutional amendment that recognizes marriage as solely between one man and one woman.
“Clearly, the people of Louisiana have spoken. We believe the court will uphold their will,” said ADF attorney Mike Johnson, who argued before the court today in the case,
Forum for Equality PAC, et al., v. the Honorable W. Fox McKeithen, et al. On October 5, State District Court Judge William Morvant struck down the amendment, which 78 percent of Louisiana voters approved September 18. Morvant claimed that the amendment was flawed because it addressed two subjects, marriage and civil unions.
“As we argued to the court today, the sole objective of this amendment is to protect marriage from all contemporary threats. The language of the amendment is essential in achieving that single goal,” Johnson explained.
Louisiana’s amendment reads, in part, “Marriage in the state of Louisiana shall consist only of the union of one man and one woman.” The amendment includes a prohibition on the recognition of same-sex “marriages” from other jurisdictions and any other legal arrangements that are “identical” or “substantially similar” to marriage.
Louisiana was the sixth state to add a marriage amendment to its state constitution. Eleven other states adopted similar amendments on November 2.
ADF is America’s largest legal alliance defending religious liberty through strategy, training, funding, and litigation.
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