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Hernando Today

Hernando Votes Resemble State's On Amendments

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By TONY HOLT

Hernando Today

Published: November 6, 2008

BROOKSVILLE - By approving one amendment and voting down another, the people have decided to ban same-sex marriages and leave the language of the constitution alone, even when some lawmakers think it is culturally insensitive.

Amendment 2, known as the Florida Marriage Protection Amendment, was created to protect marriage as the legal union of one man and one woman. After the final votes were counted, 66 percent of Hernando County residents voted yes. Statewide, the yes vote was 62 percent.

Sixty percent is required for an amendment to pass.

As for Amendment 1, a proposal to amend the constitution by erasing language some believe is racist in tone, 48 percent chose yes. Across the state, 47 percent voted yes.

More specifically, the amendment was designed to "delete provisions authorizing the Legislature to regulate or prohibit the ownership, inheritance, disposition and possession of real property by aliens ineligible for citizenship."

"It originated in the early 1900s when the U.S. was experiencing initial immigration of the Chinese," said local attorney Bruce Snow. "In those days, Americans considered Chinese to be very different culturally and otherwise."

The law would allow the Legislature to draft bills that would prohibit people of certain ethnic groups to own property if they were not U.S. citizens. Some lawmakers felt it was time to "clean up that language," Snow said.

Only voters can change the language of the state Constitution. This time, they passed.

As for Amendment 2, the results were encouraging for local church leaders, including Pastor Jerry Waugh, of Northcliffe Baptist Church in Spring Hill.

"I'm very satisfied that it passed because I felt it protects the Biblical and traditional definition of marriage for my family and for my children's children," Waugh said. "My position has always been that an activist judge should not define marriage for Florida."

A spokesman with the ACLU of Florida, an advocacy group that opposed Amendment 2, did not return a message prior to deadline Wednesday.

Reporter Tony Holt can be reached at 352-544-5283 or wholt@hernandotoday.com.

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