GA marriage ruling quotables

Graphic of states laws on same sex marriage by New York Times.(Click to enlarge)

Remarks in the wake of Georgia's high court ruling upholding the citizen vote against homosexual marriage:

“It is apparent that the prohibition against recognizing same-sex unions as entitled to the benefits of marriage is not ‘dissimilar and discordant’ to the objective of reserving the status of marriage and its attendant benefits exclusively to unions of man and woman.”
--Justice Robert Benham, author of the court's decision

"The people of Georgia overwhelmingly ratified the constitutional amendment stating that marriage and the benefits of marriage should be reserved for a union between a man and a woman."
--Thurbert Baker, GA Atty General

“We’re a republic. Public officials are elected to represent the people, and we don’t use a referendum very often. But when we do use a constitutional amendment, we are very respectful of the people’s voice. This issue was put before the General Assembly and passed by a two-thirds vote in both houses. Then it was put before the people on the ballot and passed by an even greater margin.
The benefits of marriage, as defined by the people of Georgia, are afforded to a man and a woman.”
--Sonny Purdue, Govenor of Georgia