ARIZONA (By Elvia Díaz, Arizona Republic) November. 9, 2004 - Conservative social activists and key state lawmakers said Monday that they will pursue a state constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages in Arizona.

The proposition would go on the November 2006 ballot and would be similar in part to those approved last Tuesday by voters in 11 other states.

The purpose would be to ensure that no judge in Arizona ruled in favor of same-sex marriage.

"This is something that has widespread appeal here," said Ron Johnson, executive director of the Arizona Catholic Conference, which he said backs the proposed constitutional amendment.

Cathi Herrod of the Center for Arizona Policy, a lobbying group, said she and others will ask the Arizona Legislature to place a referendum on the ballot limiting marriage to one man and one woman. As an alternative, they will launch a signature petition drive to place an initiative on the ballot. They would need at least 183,917 valid signatures.

Arizona already has a law prohibiting gay marriages, but the constitutional amendment would provide a safeguard against court rulings that could open the door for such unions, supporters said. Nothing in the state's Constitution prohibits gay marriages.

Last Tuesday, 11 states, including Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi and Ohio, approved constitutional amendments defining marriage as being between a man and a woman.

State lawmakers failed during the 2004 legislative session to approve a postcard to Congress urging it to amend the U.S. Constitution to outlaw same-sex marriages. The non-binding resolution cleared the House but failed in the Senate.

Senate President Ken Bennett, R-Prescott, said there is a good chance the Legislature will vote during its 2004 session to put a state constitutional amendment before voters. Republicans will have an 18-12 majority in the Senate.

Two who opposed the request for a U.S. amendment will be out of office in 2004.

The Arizona ballot measure will be introduced by lawmakers in the state House and Senate, Bennett said.

"This would obviously mean something much more than just a postcard," Bennett said.

There is little doubt that voters in Arizona will get to have a say on the matter, said Bruce Merrill, a pollster and political science professor at Arizona State University who has studied the issue. There appears to be widespread public support, especially in rural Arizona, to close every pathway to gay marriage, he said.

"It's not just the religious right," Merrill said. "The core who would support this measure are those who go to church. But there are many who aren't religious and are concerned with the breakdown of the family."

Christopher Barron, political director for Log Cabin Republicans, a GOP gay rights group in Washington, D.C,. isn't surprised that Arizona is jumping onto the bandwagon. He expects to see similar efforts across the nation.

"We will fight back," he said. "The vast majority of people who voted for these measures aren't anti-gay people."

The group opted not to endorse President Bush in this year's election because he pushed for the amendment to the U.S. Constitution banning gay marriage.

Karl Rove, Bush's top strategist, said Sunday that the president will renew his support for the amendment during his second term.

Barron said the Log Cabin Republicans' new strategies will include reaching out to rural voters and emphasizing that proponents of state and federal constitutional amendments want to go beyond merely defining marriage.

They want to ban same-sex civil unions and prohibit any type of domestic-partner benefits, he said.

"We should be hosting rural barbecues and town hall meetings for honest discussions with people who disagree with us," Barron said.

Herrod said the goal is to protect the sanctity of marriage between one man and one woman.

Sen. Mark Anderson, a Mesa Republican who will be moving to the House in January, said he will introduce the legislation seeking a ballot referendum. He said colleagues in the Senate will do the same.

"It looks very promising," Anderson said. "Marriage is the foundation of successful families and must be protected."