By Jennifer Bendery, GalleryWatch.com
Austin, TX –
Several state leaders today issued statements applauding the turnout and outcome of this year's statewide ballot election.
Secretary of State Roger Williams said voter turnout exceeded expectations in this year's election. Some 18 percent of registered Texans participated in the election, he said, which marks this year as the highest turnout in a constitutional amendment election since 1991.
Sen. Todd Staples (R-Palestine) authored or sponsored four of the nine proposed constitutional amendments on Tuesday's ballot, one of which was Proposition 2, the contentious measure banning gay marriage in Texas. The final tally on the amendment - approximately 76 percent of Texas voted for it while 24 percent voted against it - reaffirms "the will of mainstream Texans," he said.
Passage of this constitutional amendment ensures protection for "the sanctity of marriage from activist judges and misguided lawsuits seeking to redefine it," said Staples. "The people have spoken and have overwhelmingly supported traditional marriage, despite the misinformation and scare tactics used by some opposition groups."
Tina Benkiser, Chairman of the Republican Party of Texas (RPT), said passage of Proposition 2 is "an overwhelming victory for Texas, our families and our future." The record turnout at the polls reflects that voters have "a quick grasp of the obvious," she said. "And it is obvious to Texans that marriage is between one man and one woman and the very foundation of society." The state constitution will now "protect marriage, families and the state that we love," said Benkiser.
She called attention to groups opposed to Proposition 2 who suggested in their campaigns that the amendment's language was so poorly written that it could lead to all marriages in Texas being annulled. Those campaigns were "campaigns of confusion, lies and deception," said Benkiser. Such approaches "will go down in blistering defeat." The RPT chairman added that the victory for supporters of Proposition 2 clarifies that "Texans, not liberal activist judges, will decide how best to keep our families and state strong."
Glen Maxey, a former state House representative and leader of No Nonsense in November, an anti-Proposition 2 campaign, said the fight is not over regarding discrimination against gay and lesbian people. "We go forward," said Maxey, as reported by News 8 Austin. "We'll be working in political campaigns in 2006 to make sure that more supportive people who understand about non-discrimination and equality are in the legislature."
Other measures put forward by Staples that passed included Proposition 1, which creates a state fund for relocating freight railroads, and Proposition 4, which allows judges to deny bail to a criminal defendant who violates a condition of his or her release pending trial. The Palestine legislator stressed that the measure will provide increased protections for victims. "By passing Proposition 4, Texans have closed a legal loophole that prevented revoking bail in some circumstances," he said. "Passage of Proposition 4 is a victory for victims' rights."
Staples was less victorious, however, when it came to Proposition 9, which failed to pass. The measure sought to change terms for board members of regional mobility authorities (RMAs) from two-year to staggered six-year terms. He emphasized that RMAs are a relatively new concept. "As such, voters were unwilling to extend the terms at this time," said Staples. Perhaps once RMAs establish a more significant track record, voters "may be willing to reevaluate the length of terms if a need exists," he said.