County board in Michigan passes anti-gay marriage resolution

The Oakland County board of commissioners in Michigan has voted to approve a resolution to support a state constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages. The board approved the resolution by a 14-10 margin after more than three hours of debate Thursday night, the Detroit Free Press reports. The resolution, which is not binding, urges the state legislature to put a constitutional amendment on the statewide ballot. Sen. Alan Cropsey (R-Dewitt) has said he plans to introduce the bill this year. Commissioner Tom McMillin (R-Auburn Hills), one of the cosponsors of the resolution, said that a no vote on the resolution would mean that a commissioner was against traditional family values. "This is needed because of what has happened in Canada," he said. "The people that are caught in this lifestyle need help because it's a very destructive lifestyle." But Commissioner David Coulter (D-Ferndale) said the resolution is unnecessary because state and federal laws already define marriage as a union between one man and one woman. "There is no one in Lansing or Washington who is trying to overturn these laws," he said. "This is going to be harmful to Oakland County by branding ourselves as a county of intolerance."