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 Indiana Anti-Gay Amendment Unlikely To Advance
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff
Posted: January 21, 2008 - 5:00 pm ET
(Indianapolis, Indiana) The Indiana Senate
this week will hold committee hearings on a proposed amendment to the state
constitution that would limit marriage to opposite-sex couples, but the House
appears ready to stonewall the initiative.
Indiana already has a law restricting marriage
but state conservatives fear it could be overturned in court.
The proposed amendment was passed last year in
the Republican controlled Senate but died when a committee in the Democrat
controlled House deadlocked. (story)
This year the measure may not make it as far as
the committee stage in the House. "I’m not planning on having a hearing,"
House Rules committee Chair Scott Pelath (D) said. "We have a
very serious problem with the property tax system and we don’t have any gay
marriages in Indiana."
Amending the constitution is a two stage process
in Indiana, requiring votes in two consecutive separately elected sessions of
the legislature.
It already passed the first phase in 2005. If it
does not pass before the March 14 deadline, amendment supporters would have to
go back and begin the whole process all over. That would mean the earliest it
could go to voters would be 2012.
The proposed constitutional amendment defines
marriage only as the union of one man and one woman. But, it goes to say the
state cannot provide the "incidents" of marriage on unmarried couples
or groups.
The second part of the amendment would block
domestic partner benefits from being offered state employees or institutions
funded by the state, say opponents.
©365Gay.com 2008
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