Finished and Continuing Prop. 8

Being here at Brigham Young University, the topic of Proposition 8 was a common one. Conversations revolving around the proposition could be heard almost anywhere on campus during the weeks preceding the election. Despite the passing of Prop. 8 and the relief from supporters who put hours into the campaign, the case of gay marriage continues to be looked into.

A couple of weeks ago, the New York Times published an article about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and their involvement in the campaign. Apparently the California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) is upset and says that the church did not report the total amount of contributions they received for Proposition 8. The article deduces that if this is true, then the church has broken the law. The whole situation appears to be slightly complex, because "the Mormon church said it doesn’t need to report contributions that were made by members and not the church."

Despite the coverage that implies the church did break California state laws, the paper does contribute contrasting views as well, which I appreciate.

Kate Kendell, executive director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights and an executive committee member of the “No on 8” campaign, contributed a slightly better opinion of the church in their involvement in Prop. 8.

"'Given the stable of very smart lawyers working for the church, I think it is highly unlikely that they did anything in violation of the law,” she said.'"

Even though this is kind of a touchy subject, I think that the journalists are doing a good job of presenting all sides of this topic, and especially with what information they have been given concerning the matter.