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DC Appellate Court Upholds Refusal To Allow Initiative On Defining Marriage

By Howard M. Friedman

In Jackson v. District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics, (DC Ct. App., July 15, 2010), a D.C. appellate court, in a 5-4 decision, upheld the Board of Elections and Ethics refusal to accept a petition seeking an initiative vote on a proposed amendment to D.C. statutes to bar the recognition of same sex marriages. The majority concluded:

The Council acted within its authority under the CAA [Charter Amendment Act] and the Home Rule Act in enacting the Human Rights safeguard of the IPA [Initiative Procedures Act] and in directing the Board not to accept initiatives that contravene that safeguard. Because appellants' proposed initiative would authorize, or have the effect of authorizing, discrimination on a basis prohibited by the Human Rights Act, it was not a proper subject of initiative. Therefore, the Board acted lawfully in refusing to accept the initiative on that basis.

A dissenting of 4 judges opinion argued that D.C City Council exceeded its authority when it imposed the "Human Rights Act limitation" on the right of initiative. [See prior related posting.]

Full post as published by Religion Clause on July 16, 2010 (boomark / email).