Constitution ideas rejected in Senate

The Senate on Monday rejected two resolutions by Sen. Jason Rapert, R-Bigelow,

to call conventions to amend the U.S. Constitution.

Senate Joint Resolution 7 would call for a convention to consider an amendment to define marriage as between one man and one woman. Senate Joint Resolution 9 would call a convention to consider an amendment establishing that life begins at conception.

SJR7 failed 17-7 and SJR9 failed 17-6. The votes were then expunged. There are 35 members of the Senate, so the resolutions needed 18 votes to pass.

Rapert said lawmakers have decried the erosion of American values for years and lacked other avenues to undo gay marriage and abortion decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Sen. Linda Chesterfield, D-Little Rock, spoke against SJR7 by quoting the 1967 Supreme Court decision invalidating laws prohibiting interracial marriage.

“They’re not trying to marry you,” she told senators, saying that it hurt no one to allow people to be happy in their own way.

Other lawmakers questioned whether a constitutional convention, if called, could consider more than authorized in the resolutions. — Brian Fanney