Reps. Hoogendyk, Stahl, Palmer, Julian, Voorhees, Richardville, Meyer, Brandenburg, Kooiman, Hummel, Robertson, Emmons, Moolenaar, Ehardt, Casperson, DeRoche, Pastor, Shackleton, Tabor, Milosch, Ward, Sheen, Mortimer, Steil, Vander Veen, Wenke, Howell, LaJoy, Hune, Huizenga, Middaugh, Hager, Garfield, Stakoe, Acciavatti, Newell, Caswell, Nofs, Bisbee, Palsrok, Van Regenmorter, Bradstreet, DeRossett, Farhat, Koetje, Shulman, Walker and Wojno offered the following resolution:

            House Resolution No. 109.

            A resolution to memorialize the Congress of the United States to adopt and submit to the states for ratification an amendment to the United States Constitution to define marriage as consisting only of the union between a man and a woman.

            Whereas, Marriage is the fundamental institution from which our society derives its values.  Our customs, laws, and policies have been rooted in the family, which traditionally springs from marriage; and

            Whereas, While marriage as an institution has faced many challenges in our society over the years, recent court and legislative actions in Canada provide a unique threat to marriage as we have known it throughout history.  Canadian moves to legitimize same-sex marriages may represent a potentially devastating challenge to marriage in our society; and

            Whereas, Along with many other states, Michigan enacted legislation, in 1996, defining marriage as only being between a man and a woman.  The Congress and the President took a similar step with the enactment of the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996, which does the same thing in federal statute.  However, given the unique actions that have taken place in Canada, many people feel that stronger protections, in the form of an amendment to the United States Constitution, need to be put in place; now, therefore, be it

            Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we memorialize the Congress of the United States to adopt and submit to the states for ratification an amendment to the United States Constitution to define marriage as consisting only of the union between a man and a woman; and be it further

            Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and the members of the Michigan congressional delegation.