The Family Institute of Connecticut is ramping up its campaign to stop the confirmation of Lubbie Harper Jr. to the state Supreme Court, saying his elevation to the high court has the appearance of a "political reward" for his support of same-sex marriage.
As an appellate court judge who was assigned to the state Supreme Court after some justices recused themselves, Harper voted in favor of allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry in the landmark Kerrigan case.
"Kerrigan was a usurpation of representative democracy in Connecticut,'' the Family Institute wrote in an email to supporters. "A group of unelected Supreme Court judges trampled the popular will and imposed same-sex "marriage" by judicial fiat upon a populace that repeatedly rejected it in the legislature.
"Because Connecticut does not have initiative and referendum, we cannot yet overturn the Kerrigan ruling by a popular vote. However, we can ask our legislators to reject the re-appointment and promotion of the judges who gave us Kerrigan,'' the email states.
The Family Institute has been fighting Harper's nomination for weeks, ever since he was nominated by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy to fill a vacancy on the court. But time is running out: the legislature is expected to vote on Harper's nomination tomorrow; last week the legislature's judiciary committee endorsed him.