Florida's Amendment 2: The Lessons from Michigan
by: Anthony Niedwiecki
Tue Oct 28, 2008 at 18:50:42 PM EDT
http://pamshouseblend.com/showDiary.do;jsessionid=174247668118D7648563F2E2AEB6EC93?diaryId=7842(I will sell my condo in Miami Beach as soon as it is economically possible if Amendment 2 passes. Bye-bye my sales and property tax dollars. - promoted by Julien Sharp)
The fourth in a series of posts detailing the legal implications of Florida's proposed marriage amendment, Amendment 2.
My last post detailed how the proposed amendment would greatly expand Florida's current ban on marriage. Right now, Florida law prohibits the recognition of "relationships between persons of the same sex which are treated as marriages," while Amendment 2 would expand that to include any "legal union" (with no limitation to just same sex relationships) that is "treated as marriage or the substantial equivalent" to marriage. Because the phrase "substantial equivalent" to marriage is undefined under Florida law, it will be up to the courts to determine its exact meaning.
