Image: Doma-decision-press-conference 4787096744 o (1)

Description: DOMA Decision Press Conference 07-08-2010 On Thursday, July 8th, 2010, a federal judge ruled in favor of Massachusetts and struck down the Federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Exactly one year ago today, Attorney General Martha Coakley filed a lawsuit in United States District Court (D. Mass.) challenging Section 3 of DOMA as unconstitutional. The law, which defines marriage as a union between one man and one woman, unfairly excluded Massachusetts married same-sex couples and their families from critically important rights and protections and interfered with the state’s authority to regulate marriage. The complaint alleged that DOMA, which affects more than 1,100 federal statutory provisions, violates the United States Constitution by interfering with the Commonwealth’s sovereign authority to define and regulate the marital status of its residents. The complaint also alleged that DOMA exceeds Congress’s authority under the Spending Clause because Congress does not have a valid reason for requiring Massachusetts to treat married same-sex couples differently from all other married couples. _______ DOMA Decision Press Conference On Thursday, July 8th, 2010, a federal judge ruled in favor of Massachusetts and struck down the Federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Exactly one year ago today, Attorney General Martha Coakley filed a lawsuit in United States District Court (D. Mass.) challenging Section 3 of DOMA as unconstitutional. The law, which defines marriage as a union between one man and one woman, unfairly excluded Massachusetts married same-sex couples and their families from critically important rights and protections and interfered with the state’s authority to regulate marriage.

The complaint alleged that DOMA, which affects more than 1,100 federal statutory provisions, violates the United States Constitution by interfering with the Commonwealth’s sovereign authority to define and regulate the marital status of its residents. The complaint also alleged that DOMA exceeds Congress’s authority under the Spending Clause because Congress does not have a valid reason for requiring Massachusetts to treat married same-sex couples differently from all other married couples.
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