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By PAUL QUERRY Associated Press Writer JUNEAU—the state Senate urged the Alaska Supreme Court on Thursday to act quickly on a lower court’s ruling against the state’s law banning same-sex marriage. All 20 senators voted for the resolution which carries no force of law. While the Department of Law has already asked the court to take up the case, the justices are not required to hear it. Last month, Superior Court Judge Peter Michalski found the choice of a life partner is a funda mental right, regardless of the person’s sex. He ordered the state to prove a compelling in terest in regulating that choice. The ruling did not legalize gay marriage. “If this ruling were allowed to stand ... basically it would create a legal quagmire,” said Sen. Loren Leman, R-Anchorage said on the Senate floor. Leman, who sponsored the ban on same-sex marriage, contends the ruling went against a centuries-old tra dition of marriage. Leman is also pushing a con stitutional amendment that would define marriage as the union of one man and one woman, thus negating Michal ski’s ruling. If that amendment passes the Legislature, voters would consider it in November. Leman called same-sex mar riage “clearly one of the great questions of our time. It serves to be resolved by the people, not by an unaccountable judge.” Michalski’s decision came in a lawsuit filed by Jay Brause and Gene Dugan of Anchorage. The gay couple challenged the 1996 law banning same-sex marriage, trying to force the state to recog nize their relationship of nearly 20 years. Democrats who oppose the constitutional amendment also spoke in favor of a speedy deci sion by the high court. Minority Leader Jim Duncan, D-unean, described the court as the proper forum for resolving the question. On Monday, advocates for gay marriage packed a Capitol hearing room to protest against the constitutional amendment, warning that a statewide cam paign on the issue would foster a climate of hate. The resolution now moves to the House.
Newspaper Details
Fairbanks Daily News Miner
Fairbanks, Alaska, US
Fri, Mar 13, 1998
Page 14
Full Page
Clipped by
Jakob D.
GB 10 Jun 2026
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