Oroho, McHose, Chiusano oppose California same sex marriage law

      SPARTA (5/16/080 - State Sen. Steven Oroho, Assemblywoman Alison Littell McHose and Assemblyman Gary Chiusano, (all R-Sussex, Morris, Hunterdon) took issue in a statement today with yesterday’s California State Supreme Court’s decision to overturn that state’s voter approved ban on same-sex marriage.

     “Once again the courts have short-circuited the will of the people,” Said Oroho, “‘Of the people, by the people, for the people,’ has come to mean whatever a handful of lawyers wants it to mean.  But the law doesn’t belong to them alone – it belongs to all of us – to every citizen.  The Founders of our Republic gave us the tools to rein in the judges and restore checks and balances.  We need to use them, for the sake of our future.

      “Marriage is based on a biological reality – not a legal argument,” said McHose.  After thousands of generations, it has become our tradition – the settled order of things – and I hear no popular outcry to change that.  Changing marriage from a tradition-based institution to one based simply on contract opens the door to a host of possibilities and problems. 

      “The people of California spoke loud and clear when they voted to uphold traditional marriage. Unfortunately, the courts chose to overturn the precedent of over two thousand years in what was plainly an assault on democracy by an out-of-touch judiciary.  New Jersey would do well to ignore California and follow the voters on this.  To that end, we will continue my fight to allow the people of New Jersey to decide this issue.”

       “Same-sex marriage is an attack on our society and our families,” said Chiusano. “Since the beginning of time, marriage was intended as a covenant between a man and a woman and no court anywhere should be arbitrarily changing the rules. California voters made it clear they oppose marriage between members of the same sex. Not only do the courts have no business legislating, but they have sent the message to California residents – and to voters everywhere - that their vote simply does not matter. And that’s a very sad and scary message.”

      Assemblywoman McHose has introduced ACR-120, which proposes a constitutional amendment to provide that only the union of one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as marriage in New Jersey; Assemblyman Chiusano is cosponsor that legislation.  Senator Oroho is a prime sponsor of the Senate version, SCR-30 in the Senate.  Their legislation would give voters the opportunity to decide on this fundamental issue which affects us all.