Equal marriage amendment draws plenty of support in testimony at Nevada Legislature

CARSON CITY — A constitutional amendment that would change Nevada law to recognize all marriages, regardless of gender, saw a long list of witnesses testify in support of the measure at a Senate committee hearing on Wednesday.

Assembly Joint Resolution 2, which passed the Assembly recently on a 27-14 vote, was considered by the Senate Legislative Operations and Elections Committee, but no immediate action was taken on the measure.

The Nevada constitution defines marriage as only being between a man and a woman.

Sponsored by Assemblyman Nelson Araujo, D-Las Vegas, the measure has a proposed amendment that would give religious organizations and members of the clergy the right to refuse to solemnize a marriage.

Representatives of the ACLU of Nevada, the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada and the League of Women Voters were among those testifying in support of AJR2, which would change Nevada’s constitution to reflect the current law of the land as a result of a 2015 U.S. Supreme Court ruling.

Tod Story, executive director of the ACLU of Nevada, said a recent study by the Journal of American Medical Association found that same-sex marriage policies were associated with a 7 percent reduction in the proportion of all high school students reporting a suicide attempt within the past year.

“It is the time to delete this biased language and complete the task of treating everyone and every couple equally in Nevada,” he said.

A handful of opponents testified as well, but they expressed appreciation for the amendment protecting clergy.

Opponents of ARJ2 argue that the current definition was put in the constitution through an initiative petition, and that those who want to change it should have to make the same effort. Voters approved the current definition in 2000 and again in 2002.

It would take several years to make the proposed change. ARJ2 has to pass this session, and again in 2019, then be approved by voters in 2020, before the state constitution would be amended.

Contact Sean Whaley at swhaley@reviewjournal.com or 775-461-3820. Follow @seanw801 on Twitter.