N.C. Gov. Perdue warns marriage amendment could invalidate domestic violence laws

North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue warned on Thursday that Amendment One, which defines marriage as between one man and one woman, could remove protections against domestic violence for unmarried women.

"It would ban the state from recognizing civil unions, strip away domestic partner benefits and it actually could eliminate legal protections for all unmarried couples in the state," she said in a video on YouTube. "This will harm the stability and security of North Carolina families like never before."

"The amendment I believe is dangerous for women," Perdue continued. "There is a real risk that some laws we have on the books now to protect the victims of domestic violence may no longer apply to many women in the state."

Because the proposed amendment states that marriage between a man and women is the "only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized," opponents have said that it could render domestic violence laws invalid for unmarried couples.

After Ohio passed a similar marriage amendment, some judges dropped domestic violence charges in cases involving unmarried couples.

The Ohio Supreme Court later ruled in 2007 that the marriage amendment did not invalidate domestic violence laws for unmarried men and women.

Watch video, uploaded to YouTube on April 12, below: