Attorney General Dustin McDaniel on Friday rejected a proposed popular name and ballot title for a potential constitutional amendment to allow same-sex marriage in the state.
The proposal, titled “The Arkansas Marriage Amendment,” would amend the state constitution to “provide that marriage consists of the union between two persons regardless of gender.”
McDaniel previously rejected the measure Sept. 17 and again Oct. 7, citing ambiguities.
McDaniel wrote in a letter to the proposal’s author, Bryant teacher Jennifer Pierce, that the proposal did not “fully resolve the ambiguity I noted in response to your most recent submission.”
The attorney general wrote that it was also unclear whether certain relationships, such as civil unions, would be legally recognized in the state under the proposal.
The text of the measure is also inaccurate and misleading in some areas and could confuse voters, McDaniel wrote.
McDaniel has already certified the popular name and ballot title for an initiated measure to repeal the state constitutional amendment prohibiting same-sex marriage. That proposal, titled “Repeal of the Arkansas Marriage Amendment,” was written by Christina Harrison, the founder of Arkansans for Equality, and was approved Sept. 19.
Arkansas, Pages 11 on 10/26/2013