‘Let NMI citizens decide on marriage issue’

Northern Island Mayor Valentin I. Taisakan expressed his support for the passage of the same-sex marriage initiative, saying this will give the community a chance to vote on the issue.

After a thorough review on the CNMI Constitution and the definition of marriage as defined by the Black Law Dictionary, Taisakan, who spoke during Tuesday’s public hearing on House Initiative 14-003, said his support of the passage of the initiative is based more on getting the community involved.

“I say, we pass the initiative and let our community participate in the outcome of the proposed constitutional amendment,” he said. “It is, therefore, imperative that the Legislature pass this initiative not necessarily to prevent same-sex marriage from taking place but rather to bring this important and controversial matter to the community for them to decide.”

Taisakan called for the Legislature to be “more trusting” of the CNMI’s citizens and to “let them decide on the fate” of the proposed constitutional amendment.

Further, Taisakan expressed the need to designate an agency that would provide public education on the initiative before the general election.

“It is also important to appropriate and/or allocate sufficient resources to give the community ample time to be educated so that the final decisions they make at the voting booth will be one that is informed and represent the sentiments, values, and beliefs of this great community we live in,” he said.

The hearing was held to obtain comments from the public on a proposed initiative that intends to amend the CNMI Constitution so that lawmakers would be limited in their powers to amend the definition of marriage. The initiative marriage to be defined as exclusive to that between a man and a woman. If the initiative passes both House and Senate, it will then be placed before voters in the next general elections.

It was not immediately learned if the committee still intends to hold another public hearing on the issue.

In his opinion, Taisakan said placing a barrier on same-sex marriage is prohibited by the Constitution.

“The plain reading and plain meaning of the Constitution and laws of our Commonwealth clearly prohibit us from establishing a legal impediment for same-sex marriage to take place,” he said.

He, however, said that same-sex marriage “greatly offends” community standards.

“Our community norms, cultures, traditions, beliefs, and standards have survived for hundreds of years with the belief that marriage is an important institution that occurs between a man and a woman. To allow same-sex marriage will threaten the fabric of our cultures and traditions, as we know them. Thus, there is clearly a compelling state interest in the topic addressed by the House Legislative Initiative 14-003,” he said.