November 4, 2004 - Volume 2, Issue 42

SPECIAL 2004 ELECTION EDITION

Michigan Votes to Protect Marriage

Michigan Family Forum (MFF), Citizens for the Protection of Marriage (CPM) and other groups committed to preserving traditional marriage won an important victory on Tuesday. Voters in Michigan overwhelmingly approved Proposal 2, which will amend the constitution to protect the institution of marriage.

"We were confident all along that the vote would go our way," said MFF Executive Director Brad Snavely. "The citizens of Michigan have spoken loud and clear--marriage is between a man and a woman--period."

National Public Radio’s Tovia Smith interviewed Snavely about Proposal 2’s passage on November 3. To hear the broadcast, click here.

Proposal 1 Passes, Giving Voters a Voice on Plans to Expand Gambling

Proposal 1, which was thought to face an uphill battle for passage, was instead approved by a wide margin. "It’s apparent that voters want to have a say as to whether gambling expands in Michigan or not," said MFF Executive Director Brad Snavely.

Several state officials had attempted to defeat Proposal 1 claiming that it would limit the lottery’s ability to provide funds for education. "That claim was misleading," said Snavely. "Voters understood the facts, and voted accordingly."

MFF Guide Helps Voters "Vote Values"

According to a CNN exit poll, 22 percent of voters identified "moral values" as the most important issue in voting for president. Some media outlets are referring to the 2004 election as the year of the "values voter" since more people identified that as the most important issue than any other issue, including the economy and jobs (20 percent), terrorism (19 percent), Iraq (15 percent) or health care (8 percent). To view the full results of the poll, click here.

Michigan Family Forum’s voters guide helped voters know where candidates stood on important social issues. In the weeks leading up to the election, over 45,000 people visited our site to download the guide, which contained information on marriage, divorce, adoptions by same-sex couples, abstinence and stem cell research.

Democrats Gain Seats in Michigan Legislature

While Republicans gained several seats on the national level, voters in Michigan bucked that trend by adding six seats to the Democrats column at the state Capitol. Republicans captured one seat in mid-Michigan, which left the Democrats with a net gain of five, primarily from southeast Michigan. The current make-up of the House of Representatives is 58 Republicans and 52 Democrats. To view the Michigan election results, click here.

All Eleven Marriage Amendments Pass by Wide Margins

Marriage supporters across the nation spoke loud and clear this week as all eleven states considering constitutional bans on same sex marriage passed them by wide margins. Michigan’s own amendment passed 59-41.

"This nation has made a statement – marriage is the union of a man and a woman," said MFF Executive Director Brad Snavely. "The people have spoken clearly saying ‘yes’ to preserving marriage for future generations."

Homosexual activists have said they will mount challenges to the state amendments. These challenges will have to take place in federal courts because a state court cannot overturn state constitutional amendments. The need for passage of the Federal Marriage Amendment (FMA) continues. Ultimately, our country needs one common definition of marriage. To read more, click here.

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Forum Online

1003 N. Washington, P.O. Box 15216

Lansing, MI, 48901-5216

Phone: (517) 374-1171, Fax: (517) 374-6112

www.michiganfamily.org

Executive Director: Brad Snavely

Editor: Jon Stanton

Questions? E-mail us: info@michiganfamily.org

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