By Chief Political Correspondent Michael Aron
NJ Today
The other shoe dropped at the Statehouse today. Trenton lobbyist Don Sico announced a new coalition of social conservatives lining up in support of traditional marriage in New Jersey and against same-sex marriage .
“Marriage under the present definition has served humanity well for millennia, and we change the definition at our own peril,” said Jim White of the Knights of Columbus.
“All the sociological data proves that children are hurt by this,” said Rev. Clenard Childress of the Life Education Access Research Network.
On Monday, Senate Democratic leaders stood in support of Judge Mary Jacobson’s ruling last week that said gay marriage must begin in the state on Oct. 21. The judge ruled New Jersey’s civil union law deprives same-sex couples of federal benefits and is therefore unconstitutional. Gov. Chris Christie is appealing that ruling.
“We are appreciative and grateful to the governor and the attorney general for waging a vigorous defense of New Jersey’s law, and we do believe that it’s a vigorous defense,” Sico, who lobbies for the National Organization for Marriage, said.
What they want is what Christie says he wants — a ballot referendum on same-sex marriage.
“We say, let the people decide. New Jerseyans are people of good will, but they recognize the special, unique nature of marriage,” said Len Deo of the New Jersey Family Policy Council.
“Please, put it on the ballot. Have the courage to trust the wisdom of the people,” John Tomicki of League of American Families said.
Same-sex marriage advocates say you don’t put civil rights issues on a ballot.
“As an African-American clergyman, it’s also alarming to me that you would call sexual orientation a civil right,” said Childress.
Senate President Steve Sweeney came in for special criticism for his embrace of the issue.
“He’s the one in the beginning when he became Senate President, decide that this was priority one — homosexual marriage, priority one. In a state that is the second-highest taxed state in the country, this is priority one,” Gregory Quinlan of New Jersey Family First said. “Mr. Sweeney’s district, the third district, is socially conservative, the most socially conservative of the Democrat districts . Mr. Sweeney has become an alien to his own people.”
The media were criticized, too.
“I need to be honest with you folks in the press corps. When we’ve come down here and spoken, we’ll find that those that are pro-family, there may be one interview that is given, while those that are pro-homosexual, there’ll be five interviews that are shown on the news,” Matthew Jones of Assemblies of God said.
Voters in three states — Maine, Maryland and Minnesota — approved same-sex marriage on the ballot last year. Whether New Jersey voters would do the same is an open question.