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Marriage Ban May Face Key Hurdle Monday

Last updated on Monday, January 27, 2014

(STATEHOUSE) - The proposed constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage faces one more hurdle before a final vote in the House: an opportunity for members to try to revise it. That debate could come this afternoon.

House Minority Leader Scott Pelath says he's filed a motion to delete the second sentence of the amendment, which bans not only gay marriage but civil unions. He calls it "the obvious stink bomb" in an amendment that's controversial even without it.

Opponents contend that second sentence endangers domestic-partner benefits for Indiana University employees, could gut domestic-violence laws, and bring about other unintended consequences.

But Pelath says he'll consult the other 30 House Democrats before deciding whether to call for a vote. He says the other option is to wager that leaving the amendment as is will either damage its chances in a November referendum, or prompt legislators who are concerned about the second sentence to kill the amendment.

There's disagreement on what happens if the second sentence is removed. Some legislators maintain the remaining sentence could still go to the voters in November. But Senate President Pro Tem David Long says he's persuaded that any revisions would delay final action till 2016.

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