Ammon J. Taylor of San Antonio is so vehemently opposed to same-sex marriage that he took the unusual step of forming a federal super PAC to fight it.

The 27-year-old salesman is taking a seldom-tried — some would say improbable — approach. He wants to muster a convention of states to amend the Constitution to enable states to quash the Supreme Court’s June ruling that legalized same-sex marriage.

On July 16, Taylor registered the Restore Marriage PAC with the Federal Election Commission, naming himself president and treasurer. Moving methodically, he opened a bank account, issued a news release, created an Internet presence, and began seeking volunteers and support among fellow conservatives of all creeds.

“Most Americans think that since the Supreme Court decision allowing same-sex marriage, the issue is settled. It is not,” Taylor said when he announced the PAC.

With Congress not acting against same-sex unions, a convention of states “is our only constitutional recourse to save marriage,” he said.

For Taylor, the effort is part of living his Mormon faith. As a boy, he watched his father lead Nebraska’s initiative to define marriage as being between a man and a woman, which passed overwhelmingly in 2000 but was nullified by the court decision.

More Information For more information: www.restoremarriagepac.com Article V of the U.S. Constitution The Congress, whenever two-thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose Amendments to this Constitution, or, on the Application of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments, which, in either Case, shall be valid to all Intents and Purposes, as Part of this Constitution, when ratified by the Legislatures of three-fourths of the several States, or by Conventions in three-fourths thereof, as the one or the other Mode of Ratification may be proposed by the Congress; Provided that no Amendment which may be made prior to the Year One thousand eight hundred and eight shall in any Manner affect the first and fourth Clauses in the Ninth Section of the first Article; and that no State, without its Consent, shall be deprived of its equal Suffrage in the Senate.

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Taylor’s father, Art, an attorney, is advising him in the quest to persuade 34 states to call an Article 5 Convention. Thirty-eight states would need to ratify changes.

The 27 amendments to the Constitution all were approved by Congress, the most recent in 1992. Still, to demonstrate his resolve that a meeting of states is feasible, Taylor is organizing a mock convention in 2016 to send a message to Congress and others.

Groups and PACs that back same-sex marriage stand ready to oppose Taylor’s initiative.

“It makes me very nervous to start thinking about messing with our Constitution,” said Rebecca L. Robertson, legal and policy director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas.

“I am particularly concerned about the idea that we would build inequality into the Constitution. That just seems un-American” she said. “I’m hopeful that the fervor around this issue will calm down and people will realize the sky isn’t falling,” she said

An expert on the Constitution cast doubt on Taylor’s approach, calling it a “pipe dream.”

“Money or no money, wise or unwise, there is very little chance of an Article V Convention happening anytime soon. There is too much fear that it might rewrite large sections of the Constitution, among other reasons,” said Professor Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia.

Fears of a “runaway convention” also have been applied to amendment proposals on abortion, immigration, federal spending and campaign finance. Taylor said he’s trying to “alleviate these crazy concerns … that there’s going to be some boogeyman there to get three-fourths of the states to pass some crazy amendments.”

Born in Kansas and raised in Nebraska, Taylor spent part of his youth abroad, served a two-year Mormon mission in Northern California and earned an MBA before moving to San Antonio from Arizona this year. Married, with one child and one on the way, Taylor attributes his zeal to his upbringing and Mormon faith.

“I grew up in a family where the respect for traditional marriage was very fundamental and highly taught, and we engaged in the political process to help protect that,” Taylor said.

Taylor concedes it’s unlikely that enough states could be persuaded to “pass an amendment that would protect and restore marriage nationwide. We do believe we can get 34 states to come together to hold a convention to propose an amendment that allows each state to define for itself.”

With most states under Republican control, he said, “now is the best time ever to return to the states the right to determine key social and economic events that Washington has allowed to run out of control — like balancing the budget, stopping abortion and protecting traditional marriage,” Taylor said.

“How do we put the pressure on Congress to call for an amendment now? The answer is we hold a mock convention,” he said. Taylor hopes to conduct the “People’s Convention” around a July 2016 meeting of lawmakers at the American Legislative Exchange Council in Indianapolis.

A key motivation for Taylor was a Mormon leader’s prophesy that those outside Washington, D.C., would someday save the Constitution.

“That statement is effectively what drives me as an individual to work this whole campaign. I do not have political experience ... but I do believe individual citizens of this nation — Latter-day Saints, Baptists, Methodists, Catholics, Jews, Muslims — who believe in preserving traditional freedom and traditional marriage will rise up collectively to defend and protect the Constitution,” he said.

“The Founding Fathers knew there would come a day when amendments would be needed but Congress would not act.”

Taylor said he embarked on this mission as an individual, not with backing from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which endorsed an amendment to “protect marriage” in 2006. After the court ruling, the church hierarchy proclaimed that “the church insists on its leaders’ and members’ right to express and advocate religious convictions on marriage, family and morality free from retaliation or retribution.”

Emphasizing that “we don’t hate anybody,” Taylor also said he other Mormons support efforts to fight discrimination against gays and lesbians in property rights and other areas.

Taylor said he’s reaching out to a wide range of potential donors and supporters. He recently gained backing from the Rev. William Owens of Memphis, Tennessee, president of the Coalition of African American Pastors. Taylor’s effort also drew a positive response from Jonathon Saenz, president of Texas Values, which opposes gay marriage.

“We expect to see more ideas and strategies surface as Texans realize that the government and the courts are acting beyond the authority given them by the people,” Saenz said.

jgonzalez@express-news.net