California Group Gains State Approval for Ballot Initiative That Supports "Traditional Marriage" by Outlawing Divorce

2010 California Marriage Protection Act Needs 694,354 Signatures by March 2010
to Qualify for the November Ballot
SACRAMENTO, Calif.--(Business Wire)--
John Marcotte, a married father of two who voted against last year`s Prop 8,
might seem an unusual proponent for a bill designed to further "protect
traditional marriage" until he explains how he plans to do it: by outlawing
divorce in the state of California.

"When I first heard about Prop 8, I figured that most of its proponents were
homophobic, or had unfounded fears that allowing same-sex marriage in California
would force classrooms to teach about the subject," says Marcotte. "But when I
learned that Prop 8 was really about protecting traditional marriage, I
recognized that there was a real opportunity to go a step further and outlaw
divorce, since it brings about the death of every traditional marriage."

Marcotte worked with an attorney friend to draft the legal language for his
bill, The 2010 California Marriage Protection Act, and paid the $200
registration fee out of his own pocket to submit the proposal for consideration.
His wife was initially hesitant to have Marcotte spend money on the idea, but
donations quickly rolled into a website he created -
http://www.rescuemarriage.org - that have paid for the expense. The website
features video PSAs and T-shirts for sale, including one that states: "You said,
`Til death do us part.` You`re not dead yet."

Just two weeks ago, Marcotte received approval from the office of California
Secretary of State Debra Bowen for his marriage initiative, which prepared a
legal title and summary
(http://www.sos.ca.gov/admin/press-releases/2009/db09-063.pdf) that will appear
on initiative petitions, the first step in placing the bill on the California
ballot in 2010. There`s good news for taxpayers too: according to the
Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance, the state could save hundreds of
millions of dollars annually due to the elimination of divorce court
proceedings.

The onus is now upon Marcotte and the bill`s supporters to collect the
signatures of 694,354 registered voters, or 8 percent of the total votes cast in
the 2006 election, by the March 22 deadline. Due to signature-gathering
irregularities, the proponents of the initiative will likely have to collect
more than 1 million signatures to advance their proposed text to the ballot for
voters to consider. A rally is scheduled for November 14 in Sacramento, where
married couples will renew their vows on the steps of the Capitol. Marcotte has
already found a number of supporters from both the right and the left and has
accrued more than 7,000 followers on Facebook.

For Marcotte, his Marriage Protection Act is but the first step in raising
awareness about the next great battle to protect traditional marriage within
California but he hopes that other states will take his lead and join in on the
movement. "This isn`t about taking away someone`s rights, it`s about what we
value as a society," he says. "We live in a divorce-promiscuous society. It`s on
the television, it`s in the movies, the newspapers. It`s even in our kids`
textbooks. Just because almost half of all marriages eventually end in divorce
doesn`t make it okay."

RescueMarriage.org
Mike Hope, 310-849-9259
press@rescuemarriage.org

Copyright Business Wire 2009