Local Church

July 20, 2006

Marriage initiative supporters meet signature goal

By Mary Moore
The Catholic Sun

More than two dozen boxes containing some 300,000 signatures from Arizona voters supporting the traditional definition of marriage were delivered to the state Capitol earlier this month.

The signatures, delivered July 6, were gathered in an effort to get the Protect Marriage Arizona initiative on the November ballot, which calls for a constitutional provision to define marriage as a union between one man and one woman, a proposal fully supported by the Catholic Church.

Catholics were among those volunteers throughout the state gathering signatures to get the Protect Marriage Arizona amendment on the November ballot, often asking churchgoers to sign the petition following Masses. This effort, spearheaded by the Phoenix Diocesan Council of Catholic Women, has been underway since January to collect the necessary 184,000 signatures for the amendment to make it on the ballot.

Coordinators say the volunteer effort made this the largest grassroots petition effort in Arizona history, helping produce nearly double the amount of valid signature necessary.

Genny Jones, legislative chair for the Catholic women’s group, worked closely with Arizona Catholic Conference executive director Ron Johnson and with Joe Rostowsky of the Knights of Columbus on the campaign.

“I am grateful to God that this was so successful,” Jones said. “I am also grateful to everyone who signed the petition and to all the volunteers who stepped up to the plate.”

Last week a group opposing the ballot measure filed suit against the initiative, claiming it violated state ballot rules.