North  Carolinians woke up this morning as every morning knowing that marriage  was defined as between 1 man and 1 woman. That had been codified into  state law for a long time. Nothing new here. However, the passage with  over 60% of the vote of Amendment 1, which made the definition of  marriage a part of the state constitution, has also left residents and  couples statewide wondering what else the amendment may mean.

Amendment  1 did not just deifne marriage and inscribe it in the state  constitution, but it also banned all civil unions and domestic  partnerships without taking into account the gender of the couples  involved. That has left everyone unclear just what ramifications may be  in store.

"Same-sex  marriage was illegal today; it's illegal tomorrow," said John Dinan, a  political science professor at Wake Forest University who writes an  annual review of state constitutional amendments. "There were no  same-sex civil unions recognized in North Carolina today. Those will not  be recognized tomorrow. The bottom line is there's not a lot of change  because of this amendment."

The amendment likely would affect  issues other than gay marriage the most because the "marriage-plus"  amendment approved in North Carolina prohibits not only same-sex  marriage, but also same-sex civil unions.

For example, a handful  of local governments provide benefits to employees who are involved in  same-sex relationships. In Michigan, the state's highest court ruled  that an amendment did affect those benefits, Dinan said. But in North  Carolina, officials in Durham and Orange counties have said they don't  expect to have to eliminate those benefits because of the amendment, he  said.

Opponents had said they feared the law could affect  domestic violence protections, some of which refer to people who live  together. Dinan said he doubted that would happen, although Ohio had a  three-year court fight over the issue before the Supreme Court ruled the  laws weren't affected.

Some voters who opposed the amendment  weren't that concerned with the practical effects of the amendment, but  more with how it makes North Carolina look.

But even the state  House Speaker, who supported the amendment, expressed reservations about  how long it would survive. Speaker Thom Tillis said he expects the  amendment to be reversed within 20 years as today's young adults age.

While  legislators can easily undo a state law, it's much harder to reverse a  constitutional amendment, Dinan said. The latter requires a three-fifths  vote in both legislative houses, then voter approval.

"One can't rule that out," he said. "But it's become more difficult to make that change now."

http://azstarnet.com/news/national/effect-of-nc-gay-marriage-amendment-unclear/article_a4c8ea1d-4704-5814-92b9-36adeab5d9ac.html

From  the Cornfield, I am a strong supporter of the 10th Amendment and feel  this is a states right issue. I respect the wishes of the people of the  State of North Carolina.

Sadly,  this amendment may have unforeseen consequences. Some who disagree with  same-gender marriage, that I know in the state, voted against the  amendment simply because the amendment in their opinion went too far and  may jeopardize other issues involving unmarried opposite gender  couples, children and more as it is worded.