By Jim Siegel
Gannett Columbus Bureau

COLUMBUS - The fight over whether Ohio needs a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage is set for battle in courtrooms, churches and the airwaves.

"We're not going to allow the Constitution of the state of Ohio to be turned from a shield protecting families into a weapon against families," said Alan Melamed, campaign manager for a new group formed to fight the proposed amendment.

But David Miller, vice president of Citizens for Community Values, said he isn't about to let "little tyrants on their benches" give legal rights to same-sex couples.

"We honestly do not trust any judge in this legal climate today," he said. "They're out of control."

Citizens for Community Values has been working for weeks to collect the 323,000 signatures needed before the Aug. 4 deadline to place the amendment on the November ballot.

The amendment would reinforce Ohio's law that marriage is between one man and one woman and ensure it cannot be overturned by a court. It also would prevent any state or local government, agency or university from offering same-sex domestic partner benefits.

Four state universities - Ohio State, Miami, Ohio University and Cleveland State - have started offering such benefits.

"This isn't the way we are going to revitalize the state of Ohio," Melamed said. "We don't protect Ohio families by shutting the door on already existing protections and benefits for families and loved ones and unmarried couples."

Ohioans for Growth & Equality, a coalition of mainly gay organizations, has put together a team of political consultants and fund-raisers to fight the amendment. The group plans to tap university officials and businesses who believe they need to offer domestic partner benefits to attract top-quality employees.

Melamed said the group needs to raise money to run television and radio ads around the state.

The fight could begin in the courtroom, where petition challenges have derailed some efforts to bring issues before voters, such as an attempt this year to repeal the penny sales tax increase early.

Some Republicans have questioned the need for a constitutional amendment, including Gov. Bob Taft, who thinks the state took care of the issue when he signed Ohio's Defense of Marriage Act in February.

Rep. Bill Seitz, R-Cincinnati, who sponsored the marriage act, said he would support the amendment but called its language too ambiguous.