Quote:
Originally posted by Replaced_Texan
My question wasn't about the analysis. My question was about the language that we're voting for. I do not think that the following language is any clearer than the language on the ballot, and I think, reading the language on its face, that a reasonable person could determine that the legislature is asking us to eliminate marriage all together.
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Bilmore is right, the actual language is clearer, but clearer in a way the drafter(s) should not have intended. Setion 32 defines marriage and then provides:
"This state [] may not [] recognize any legal status identical [] to marriage,"
which, unless you torture the meaning of identical*, means that Texas may not recognize any legal status of marriage. Doesn't mean you can't get married w/r/t your church.
I don't know how that can be interpreted any differently, unless recognition of marriage as a legal status in Terxas is also provided for in the constitution. Then you'd have to read to two provisions together to give both some reasonable meaning.
*from m-w.com: identical
1 : being the same : SELFSAME <the identical place we stopped before>
2 : having such close resemblance as to be essentially the same
