Prop. 8 Campaign Files Lawsuit to Overturn AttorneyGeneral’s Outrageous Change to Prop. 8 Ballot Title
In regards to the ballot pamphlet mentioned above, the Proposition 8 Campaign has filed a lawsuit against the outrageous effort by Attorney General Jerry Brown to rewrite the official “Title and Summary” of Proposition 8, which will appear on all Californian’s ballots and in the official ballot pamphlet.
The original Title and Summary, which appeared on the 1.2 million petitions that Californians signed to place Proposition 8 on the ballot, said:
LIMIT ON MARRIAGE. CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTAmends the California Constitution to provide that only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.
The new Title and Summary drafted by Jerry Brown says:
ELIMINATES RIGHT OF SAME-SEX COUPLES TO MARRY. INITIATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTChanges California Constitution to eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry. Provides that only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.
This is a very cynical manipulation of the official ballot pamphlet materials, which state law requires to be impartial and fair. In fact, long time Sacramento Bee columnist Dan Walters said Brown’s action was likely done at the behest of the No on Prop 8 campaign, and called it, “…a pretty cynical act. A referee shouldn't misuse the rules of the game to favor one side over the other. If he does, the outcome will carry an asterisk of illegitimacy.”
Because voters give great weight to the official ballot Title, we cannot allow Jerry Brown’s attempt to hijack the ballot succeed. The Proposition 8 legal team has filed a lawsuit to restore the original Title and Summary, just as Proposition 8 itself restores the definition of marriage in California.
