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Catherine Cortez Masto on Civil Rights
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Pass real equal-pay-for-equal-work legislation
Our country still has a long way to go in ensuring paycheck fairness for middle-class families. This isn't just a women's issue; it's an economic issue for Nevadans who are struggling to feed their families and keep a roof over their heads.
We cannot achieve real economic fairness for the middle class if Nevada families aren't earning a fair day's wage for a fair day's work.
It is time for politicians in Washington to stop the partisan games and pass real equal-pay-for-equal-work legislation that will level the playing field for working families suffering from pay discrimination.
As Attorney General, I worked to protect Nevada's middle-class families, and if elected to the United States Senate, I will continue to do so by fighting to achieve paycheck fairness.
Source: 2016 Senate campaign website, CatherineCortezMasto.com
, Oct 1, 2015
Marriage equality is a landmark, but more work to do
The recent Supreme Court decision on marriage equality was a landmark decision in the fight for equality, but there is still more work to do. LGBT Americans still face discrimination in housing and in the workplace.
We also still have work to do in eliminating discrimination against LGBT Americans in public accommodation, jury service, and education. In the Senate, I will work to end discrimination against every Nevadan regardless of whom they love.
Source: 2016 Senate campaign website, CatherineCortezMasto.com
, Oct 1, 2015
Following court rulings, dropped defense of gay marriage ban
In a trailblazing opinion, a Judge held that allowing jury strikes based on "preconceived notions of the identities, preferences, and biases" of gay people would perpetuate the "history of exclusion of gays and lesbians from democratic institutions."
Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto filed a motion with the 9th Circuit conceding that, following the gay juror ruling, "the state has determined that its arguments grounded upon equal protection and due process are no longer sustainable."
Brian Sandoval, the state's Republican governor, agrees, admitting that "it has become clear that this case is no longer defensible in court."
And just like that, the rationale for banning gay marriage fell away.
Source: Slate e-zine on 2022 Nevada Senate race
, Feb 11, 2014
Let Nevada ban same-sex marriage; it's will of the people
In a 55-page brief, Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto urges the US Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to uphold the state's constitutional ban on same-sex marriage on the basis that it reflects the will of the people: "The interest of the State
in defining marriage in this manner is motivated by the state's desire to protect and perpetuate traditional marriage," Masto writes. "In establishing this criterion and others--e.g., age, consanguinity, unmarried status, etc.--the state exercises its
prerogative as a State, and that exercise is entitled to respect."Notably, Masto argues at length that the Ninth Circuit shouldn't apply heightened scrutiny to the ban: "Under an objective application of due process and equal protection analyses,
there is no basis for heightened review of the State's purpose in defining marriage by its traditional meaning," Masto writes. "There exists neither fundamental right, nor suspect or quasi- suspect class, justifying a different standard of review."
Source: Washington Blade on 2016 Nevada Senate race
, Jan 23, 2014
States ban bigamy & incest, so why not same-sex marriage?
Ask the attorney general of Nevada about the definition of marriage, and she'll tell you it doesn't include the union of a same-sex couple. But in the same breath, she'll tell you it also doesn't include incest or bigamy either. In a 55-page brief,
Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto, in a section titled "Marriage Defined," explains "what marriage is" and "what marriage is not." Masto reminds the court that in addition to not being for same-sex couples under Nevada law, marriage is also
not for those engaging in bigamy or incest. The invocation of bigamy and incest in Nevada's brief before the Ninth Circuit recalls the first legal brief the Obama administration filed in support of the Defense of Marriage Act when it was still
defending the law in court. That brief invoked bigamy and pedophilia to assert the constitutionality of the ban on federal recognition of same-sex marriage, which riled LGBT advocates.
Source: Washington Blade on 2016 Nevada Senate race
, Jan 23, 2014
Page last updated: Dec 16, 2021