Alaska Ballot Measure 2 (1998)

Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Ballot Measure 2 of 1998 is a defense of marriage amendment that added to the Alaska Constitution a definition of marriage that prevents same-sex marriages from being conducted or recognized in Alaska. The Ballot measure was sparked by the lawsuit filed by Jay Brause and Gene Dugan, after being denied a marriage license by the Alaska Bureau of Vital Statistics. In Brause v. Bureau, the Alaska Superior Court ruled that the state needed compelling reason to deny marriage licenses to same-sex couples, which was appealed by the state to the Alaska Supreme Court and was subsequently denied. In response, the Alaska Legislature immediately proposed and passed Resolution 42, which became what is now known as Ballot Measure 2. Ballot Measure 2 passed via public referendum on November 3, 1998 with 68% of voters supporting and 32% opposing.