Marriage initiative falls short at polls
Immigration, tobacco tax propositions pass

By J.D. Long-García, The Catholic Sun
November 16, 2006

Voters appear to have rejected the Protect Marriage Arizona initiative that would have defined marriage as being between one man and one woman, but supported a proposition that would not allow undocumented immigrants to receive in-state college tuition Nov. 7.

The Arizona bishops were hoping for just the opposite.

The bishops of Phoenix, Tucson and Gallup supported the traditional definition of marriage found in Proposition 107.

“We knew that we would face some difficulties,” said Ron Johnson, executive director of the Arizona Catholic Conference.

“There is some hope that things would turn out different,” he added, noting that some ballots had yet to be counted.

Unlike in other states, the Arizona initiative attempted to protect marriage itself, Johnson said, not just the use of its name. Seven similar propositions passed in other states.

“They outspent us — they addressed the issue smartly, if not somewhat deceptively,” Johnson said of the campaign against the initiative.

The bishops took issue with Proposition 300, which will deny in-state college tuition to undocumented immigrants. They said it would punish “students that came to our country at a very early age and have no other home.”

Proposition 203, endorsed by the state’s bishops, did pass. It will add an 80-cent tax to tobacco products to benefit the health of children up to 5 years of age.