A Louisiana judge has nullified the constitutional ban on same-sex marriage adopted by voters in the state on Sept. 18.
East Baton Rouge Parish District Judge William Morvant ruled Tuesday that lawmakers improperly passed the ballot-initiative measure last spring because the single vote concerned two issues, not one, as is required by the state Constitution, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reported.
The Republican judge ruled the amendment is flawed because it contains two "objects": 1) defining marriage as only between one man and one woman, and 2) preventing the state from recognizing "a legal status identical or substantially similar to that of marriage for any unmarried individuals."
Amendments to the Louisiana Constitution are prohibited from having more than one single purpose.
An appeal is expected to be filed with the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals in Baton Rouge next week.
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