Worcester County Freedom Trail

Over 5,000 supporters of the Vote on Marriage amendment gathered in Boston today where Gov. Mitt Romney addressed the crowd with encouraging news that the battle for our constitutional rights is not over. Joining him were Ambassador Ray Flynn, Rep. Phil Travis, Vote on Marriage Chairman Dr. Roberto Miranda, and Mass Family Insitute President Kris Mineau. From CBS4 News,

Mitt Romney said Sunday he would ask the state’s highest court to order an anti-gay marriage amendment question onto the ballot if legislators fail to vote on the matter when they reconvene in January.

Romney said he would file a legal action this week asking a justice of the Supreme Judicial Court to direct the secretary of state to place the question on the ballot if lawmakers don’t vote directly on the question on Jan. 2, the final day of the session.

Romney, an opponent of gay marriage who decided not to seek re-election as he considers running for president, made his announcement to the cheers of hundreds of gay marriage opponents at a rally on the Statehouse steps.

“The constitution quite plainly states that when a qualified petition is placed before them, the Legislature ’shall vote.’ It does not say ‘may vote,’ or vote if procedures permit a vote, or vote if there are enough of the members in the chamber. It says, ’shall vote.”‘ Romney said.

Supporters were happy to hear that the Governor is willing to stand up to the 109 legislatures that have decided to ignore the law and usurp the rights of the people who followed the law in getting the marriage petition to the State House.

On the ride back from the rally, it was clear that enthusiasm among supporters continues to grow. One prominent Pastor from Worcester addressed a busload of people. He said that while he had been a supporter of the amendment from the beginning, he had not been very active. Now that he’s seen the Massachusetts legislature so easily dismiss the constitutional rights of the petitioners, he’s mad. Mad enough that he’s going to rally people across Worcester, urging them to let their legislators know that if they don’t take a vote on the marriage amendment, then we’re going to vote them OUT OF OFFICE.

I also hear that there will be a number of individual lawsuits against the 109 legislators who voted on November 9th to recess until January 2nd. While they have not violated the letter of the law, they have clearly violated the spirit of the law.