Wake County Resolution supporting Amendment one

RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF VOTER PARTICIPATION IN THE MAY 8, 2012 VOTE
TO AMEND THE NORTH CAROLINA CONSTITUTION PROTECTING MARRIAGE
WHEREAS, in 1995 the North Carolina legislature enacted NCGS 51-1.2, which
states that Marriages, whether created by common law, contracted, or performed
outside of North Carolina, between individuals of the same gender are not valid in North
Carolina; and

WHEREAS, the United States Congress enacted 1 USCS Section 7, which
states “In determining the meaning of any Act of Congress, or of any ruling, regulation,
or interpretation of the various administrative bureaus and agencies of the United
States, the word "marriage" means only a legal union between one man and one
woman as husband and wife, and the word "spouse" refers only to a person of the
opposite sex who is a husband or a wife”; and

WHEREAS, in 2011 the North Carolina General Assembly allowed the people of
this great State the right to vote on whether or not to amend the North Carolina
Constitution to preserve marriage as the legal union of one man and one woman; and
WHEREAS, North Carolina is the only state in the South that has not protected
marriage in its constitution; and

WHEREAS, every state in the country that has allowed the people to vote, 30 in
all, has protected marriage in its constitution as the union of one man and one woman,
including North Carolina’s bordering states of Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia and South
Carolina; and

WHEREAS, the Wake County Commissioners encourage the people of Wake
County and North Carolina to voice their opinion by exercising their right to vote; and
WHEREAS, the amendment reads:

“Marriage between one man and one woman is the only domestic legal union
that shall be valid or recognized in this State. This section does not prohibit a private
party from entering into contracts with another private party; nor does this section
prohibit courts from adjudicating the rights of private parties pursuant to such contracts.”
;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Wake County Board of
Commissioners endorses the Marriage Amendment to the North Carolina Constitution
which states that the only domestic legal union that is valid or recognized in North
Carolina is marriage between one man and one woman; and

BE IT FUTHER RESOLVED that the Wake County Board of Commissioners
encourages voter participation on this important issue to be voted upon on May 8, 2012.
This the 20th day of February, 2012.
___________________________________
Paul Y. Coble, Chairman
Wake County Board of Commissioners
ATTEST:
________________________________
Susan J. Banks
Clerk to the Wake County Board of Commissione