Marriage Amendment Heading To Ballot

A proposed constitutional amendment to ban gay marriages is headed to the November second general election ballot in Arkansas. The secretary of state`s office certified that the measure secured the necessary number of voter signatures to be placed on the ballot. Deputy Secretary of State Janet Miller said the office counted 95,736 valid signatures of registered voters. The measure needed 80,570 to be put before voters. The proposed amendment would stipulate that marriage is between a man and a woman. It would ban same-sex marriages and civil unions in Arkansas. Supporters turned in more than 200-thousand signatures July second after a three-month petition drive. Arkansas has a law banning same-sex marriage but the ballot measure, if it passes, would enhance the ban to the constitutional level. The Arkansas Marriage Amendment Committee planned a news conference this afternoon to comment.