On July 10, 2006, New York's highest court refused to hear an appeal filed by the Village of New Paltz and its mayor, ending the fight to legalize same-sex marriage. Liberty Counsel sued to stop Mayor Jason West from performing same-sex marriages and from issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples in violation of state law. Last year, the appeals court ruled that the mayor and the Village of New Paltz had no authority to violate state law, which authorizes only marriage between one man and one woman. That ruling will now stand. This victory follows on the heels of the Court's ruling last week that New York's traditional marriage laws are constitutional.

Now that the final chapter has closed on challenges to marriage in New York, the focus moves to Massachusetts, the only state where same-sex marriage is legal. Lawmakers will meet this week to consider a citizen initiative to ban future same-sex marriages in that state. Massachusetts' highest court ruled on Monday that the initiative could go before the legislature for consideration. The amendment must receive the support of 50 legislators in two consecutive sessions before going on the ballot as early as 2008.

On the opposite side of the country, Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mathew D. Staver presented oral argument yesterday before an appeals court in defense of California's marriage laws. A decision is expected in the fall, but it is anticipated that either side will ask the California Supreme Court to review the matter.

Liberty Counsel President Anita L. Staver commented on the recent decisions: "In the last week, same-sex marriage advocates have suffered stunning defeats in New York, Georgia and Massachusetts, but we must not rest until we have fully secured marriage as the union of one man and one woman in all 50 states. While we have recently succeeded in litigation and must continue to do so, the fact is that people, not courts, should decide the matter of marriage. Every state should move forward with constitutional amendments, and our federal legislators should hear this message loud and clear -- the people want to vote on a constitutional amendment in order to permanently protect marriage and the traditional family."

In the past two years, Liberty Counsel has defended more than 40 marriage cases across the country. Liberty Counsel is a national litigation, education and policy support organization defending religious freedom, the sanctity of human life and the traditional family.