US House to vote on constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage News
US House to vote on constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage

[JURIST] Leaders of the US House of Representatives [official website] have decided to move forward with a vote on the Marriage Protection Amendment [PDF text; H.J. Res. 88 summary], which would amend the US constitution to ban same-sex marriage, despite a failed vote on the Senate floor [JURIST report] in June. As with the Senate vote, the House vote on Tuesday is expected to fall short of the two-thirds majority needed to approve the measure. The House fell 40 votes short [JURIST report] of advancing the constitutional amendment two years ago.

President Bush urged Congress to approve the amendment [JURIST report] prior to the Senate debate, condemning "activist" judges [JURIST report] that have struck down state laws banning same-sex marriage. To become law, a constitutional amendment requires a two-thirds majority in each house of Congress followed by ratification by three-quarters of the states. AP has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

South Africa becomes first country on continent to legalize same-sex marriage

Same-sex marriages became legal in South Africa on November 30, 2006 as the country's Civil Union Act, 2006 went into effect, making South Africa the only country on the African continent to legalize same-sex marriage. Read the Civil Union Act, 2006.