Adam's Apple
Senior Member
- Apr 25, 2004
- 4,092
- 449
- 48
Ignoring the provisions of clearly written laws to obtain the results you prefer.
This sounds a lot like the Judicial Committee when the Dems are in charge.
The Constitution's Guardrails
By Jeff Jacoby, Boston Globe
December 17, 2006
A LAWSUIT filed in US District Court last week accuses 109 Massachusetts lawmakers of violating the US Constitution. The plaintiffs are leaders of VoteOnMarriage.org , a grass-roots campaign to amend the Massachusetts constitution by defining marriage "only as the union of one man and one woman."
It was a year ago this week that the proposed amendment, having attracted a record-setting 170,000 signatures, was formally transmitted to the Legislature by the Massachusetts secretary of state. What was supposed to happen next is spelled out in the state constitution. Article 48 directs the House and Senate to meet jointly and vote on amendments proposed by citizen initiative; those that get at least 50 votes in two consecutive sessions are then put on the state ballot.
But for a year now, the overwhelmingly Democratic Legislature has declined to obey the law. On May 10, it voted to delay consideration of the marriage amendment until July 12. On July 12, it recessed until Nov. 9. On Nov. 9, by a vote of 109-87, it recessed yet again, to Jan. 2, 2007. Which just happens to be the day the current legislative session expires -- and all unfinished business dies with it. If that happens, it will mark the second time in five years that the Legislature has killed a marriage amendment by flouting the Constitution and brazenly refusing to vote.
for full article:
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/ed...cles/2006/12/17/the_constitutions_guardrails/
This sounds a lot like the Judicial Committee when the Dems are in charge.
The Constitution's Guardrails
By Jeff Jacoby, Boston Globe
December 17, 2006
A LAWSUIT filed in US District Court last week accuses 109 Massachusetts lawmakers of violating the US Constitution. The plaintiffs are leaders of VoteOnMarriage.org , a grass-roots campaign to amend the Massachusetts constitution by defining marriage "only as the union of one man and one woman."
It was a year ago this week that the proposed amendment, having attracted a record-setting 170,000 signatures, was formally transmitted to the Legislature by the Massachusetts secretary of state. What was supposed to happen next is spelled out in the state constitution. Article 48 directs the House and Senate to meet jointly and vote on amendments proposed by citizen initiative; those that get at least 50 votes in two consecutive sessions are then put on the state ballot.
But for a year now, the overwhelmingly Democratic Legislature has declined to obey the law. On May 10, it voted to delay consideration of the marriage amendment until July 12. On July 12, it recessed until Nov. 9. On Nov. 9, by a vote of 109-87, it recessed yet again, to Jan. 2, 2007. Which just happens to be the day the current legislative session expires -- and all unfinished business dies with it. If that happens, it will mark the second time in five years that the Legislature has killed a marriage amendment by flouting the Constitution and brazenly refusing to vote.
for full article:
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/ed...cles/2006/12/17/the_constitutions_guardrails/
