12/12/11: TX Supreme Court to Rule on Marriage Definition

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The Texas Supreme Court says it will decide whether marriage can continue to be defined as a union between one man and one woman.

Two cases are before the state’s high court. They involve same-gender couples that “married” in Massachusetts, moved to Texas, and then filed for divorce. Hiram Sasser of Liberty Institute says the couples are trying to twist state law to suit their own agenda.

In 2005, 76 percent of Texas voters approved a constitutional amendment to secure the legal definition of marriage as being between one man and one woman. Similar language is also found in the Texas Family Code. So, under Texas law, a court may only grant a divorce if the marriage is recognized by the state. But three lower courts have ignored the will of the voters and granted divorces to same-sex couples, sending the cases to the Supreme Court.