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 Indiana Senate Passes Anti-Gay Amendment
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff
Posted: January 30, 2008 - 7:30 pm ET
(Indianapolis, Indiana) Indiana's Senate has
approved a proposed amendment to the state constitution that would limit
marriage to opposite-sex couples.
The Republican-controlled Senate passed the
measure on a 39-9 vote.
Indiana already has a law restricting marriage
but state conservatives fear it could be overturned in court. Republicans say
that only a constitutional amendment would prevent the courts from doing that.
The Senate sponsor of the amendment, Sen. Brandt
Hershman (R) said marriage should be up to the people not the courts to define.
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.
The Senate vote sends the measure to the House,
which is controlled by Democrats.
Leaders in the House say the amendment is not
needed.
House Rules committee Chair Scott Pelath (D) said
he is not planning on holding hearings on the measure.
"We have a very serious problem with the
property tax system and we don’t have any gay marriages in Indiana," he
told reporters earlier this month.
Speaker Patrick Bauer (D) has said repeatedly that
an amendment is not needed because same-sex
marriages are already banned under Indiana law.
Democratic stonewalling has angered House
Republicans.
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, but
last year Democrats killed the measure in the House.
This year 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.
©365Gay.com 2008
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