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 Anti-Gay Pa. Amendment Dropped
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff
Posted: May 7, 2008 - 10:30 am ET
(Harrisburg, Pennsylvania) In a surprise move
just hours before the Pennsylvania Senate was expected to approve a proposed
constitutional amendment that would bar same-sex marriage and civil unions in
the state the measure's backer pulled the bill.
Sen. Michael Brubaker (R) in asking to have the
bill indefinitely tabled said that even though there was broad support in the
Senate it would likely fail in the House.
"It has become apparent that, as the issue stands today, Senate Bill
1250 will not move in the House," said Brubaker.
The proposed amendment easily passed a key Senate
committee on Monday (story)
and was headed for a vote on the full Senate floor when Brubaker made his announcement.
Tabling the bill will not kill it, but Brubaker
said he needs time to muster House support. It is unlikely it will
resurface again this year. The Pennsylvania Senate is controlled by Republicans,
the House by Democrats.
Rep. Babette Josephs (D) the powerful chair of
the House State
Government Committee vowed she would not allow the bill to come to a committee
vote, ensuring it would not make to a full vote of that chamber.
To put a proposed amendment on the ballot it
would need to be approved by both houses in two consecutive sessions of the
legislature.
Pennsylvania already limits marriage to
opposite-sex couples but supporters of the amendment say a clear definition of
marriage is needed in the constitution to prevent judges from striking down the
law.
A recent poll found that although most
Pennsylvanians oppose same-sex marriage there was widespread support civil
unions.
The poll, conducted by Susquehanna Polling and
Research, found 65 percent of those questioned support civil unions while only
27 percent were opposed. (story)
Sen. Vincent J. Fumo (D) who opposes the
amendment told a news conference at the Capitol that Brubaker was only making
excuses by saying he was pulling the bill because of opposition in the House.
Fumo said there was support in the Senate for
stripping out the civil union prohibition, something that Brubaker opposes.
©365Gay.com 2008
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