Nebraska gay marriage ban reinstated

[Regis Philbin]

http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/07/14/ga....ap/index.html

Nebraska gay marriage ban reinstated

Friday, July 14, 2006; Posted: 12:43 p.m. EDT (16:43 GMT)

LINCOLN, Nebraska (AP) -- Supporters of banning gay marriage won two major court rulings Friday, with a federal appeals court reinstating Nebraska's voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage and the Tennessee Supreme Court ruling that voters should have a say on the issue.

Last week, the highest courts in two others states also dealt gay rights advocates setbacks. The New York court rejected a bid by same-sex couples to win marriage rights, and the Georgia court reinstated a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage there.

In the Nebraska case, U.S. District Judge Joseph Bataillon had ruled that the ban was too broad and deprived gays and lesbians of participation in the political process, among other things.

The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals disagreed, saying in its ruling Friday that the amendment "and other laws limiting the state-recognized institution of marriage to heterosexual couples are rationally related to legitimate state interests and therefore do not violate the Constitution of the United States."

Seventy percent of Nebraska voters approved the ban in 2000.