By Jennifer Bendery, GalleryWatch.com
Austin, TX –
It's not every day that a state ballot measure invigorates the Ku Klux Klan, triggers a lawsuit against the city and results in a last-minute opinion from the attorney general to clarify its effects.
Such is the story for Proposition 2, the notorious constitutional amendment that seeks to ban gay marriage in Texas. The proposed measure has stolen the limelight from other ballot measures so much so that many Texans may not even know about the other eight amendments they're voting on in today's statewide election.
Granted, it's hard not to focus on the drama surrounding Proposition 2. Just last month, Save Texas Marriage, a group opposed to the measure, launched a major campaign asserting that the language in the amendment is so "sloppy and misleading" that it leaves room for judges to annul all marriages in Texas. In addition to casting doubts on the integrity of the measure, the campaign sparked the ire of amendment sponsor Rep. Warren Chisum (R-Pampa), who vehemently denied the measure would have such an effect.
"The folks who produced this recording have laid all integrity aside," he said of phone calls made by the campaign suggesting married couples could lose health insurance, tax breaks and pensions if the measure passes. Chisum said the amendment's language was reviewed and approved by the legislature and top state attorneys. Still, he sought extra reassurance from Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, who responded with a letter claiming the campaign's argument is "completely baseless" and "wholly without merit."
Meanwhile, amid confusion over the unintended consequences of Proposition 2, amendment backers were less than thrilled to learn that the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) wanted to be associated with the cause. Last Saturday, twelve Klan members gathered at Austin City Hall to rally in support of the measure, surrounded by some 3,000 protesters held back by barricades. "We're asking Texans to support Proposition 2 because God supports it, not because the KKK supports it," announced Steven Edwards, the Texas Grand Dragon of the American White Knights of the KKK.
By Monday, news of the KKK rally was sharing headlines with news of three television producers filing a lawsuit against the City of Austin alleging that the city violated their constitutional rights by restricting media access to the rally. Their suit is part of a federal lawsuit filed this week by the Texas Civil Rights Project, which alleges that the city censored the media by giving credentials to cross a police line only to outlets that applied and were approved.
What other amendments?
With all eyes on Proposition 2, one thing easily lost in the shuffle is the drama, confusion and controversy surrounding other amendments coming before Texas voters today. In particular, consider proposed constitutional amendments relating to transportation matters.
Proposition 1 would establish the "Texas Rail Relocation and Improvement Fund," a state fund for relocating freight railroads. The measure includes no funding and does not specify how much money should be set aside for the initiative. If passed, it would remain unfunded until 2007, when lawmakers could dedicate money toward the effort.
Supporters, including Gov. Rick Perry, say it will ease traffic congestion and improve public safety. But some argue that it amounts to little more than a subsidy for private railroad companies. Sal Costello, founder of the People for Efficient Transportation, an Austin-based political action committee, on his website describes the measure as "an open-ended corporate subsidy scheme" that would use taxpayer money "to move private corporation rail lines into Perry's Trans-Texas Corridor."
But Sen. Todd Staples (R-Palestine), a sponsor of the resolution behind Proposition 1, said in a statement that there is no direct connection between the proposed amendment and the Trans-Texas Corridor. While it is possible that "some rails may eventually be relocated along part of the proposed route," that is not the amendment's intent, he said.
Then there's Proposition 9, which allows the state legislature to permit Regional Mobility Authority (RMA) board members to serve staggered six-year terms instead of two-year ones. While supporters say it provides the institutional memory needed for lengthy road projects, some people are uneasy that the amendment will lead to more toll roads and decreased accountability of board members.
Costello points out that Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn released "a comprehensive scathing report" detailing how RMAs create "double taxation without accountability." He said the report also found "conflicts of interest, favoritism and self-profiteering" as board members gave no-bid contracts to friends and their own companies.
Ultimately, despite the controversies humming within many of the proposed constitutional amendments on today's ballot, it's the KKK and fears of the institution of marriage being dissolved that will bring people to the polls. Could there be a better motivation to vote?