The successful push to legalize "gay marriage" in New York did far more than change state law -- it also served to motivate activists on both sides of the issue in other states in a move that could impact the 2012 presidential election as well as federal courts.
The issue, thought to be on the national backburner just a few weeks ago, is front-and-center once again and could find its way on the ballot in as many as five states, with two of them (Maine and Oregon) possibly legalizing it and two (Minnesota and North Carolina) looking at changing state constitutions to define marriage as between a man and a woman. It would appear on the ballot in a fifth state, Maryland, if a bill legalizing "gay marriage" passes and citizens try to reverse the law.
The ballot initiatives could play a role in court cases, too: Federal courts are known to look at what is happening in the states. ...
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