INDIANA: Senate Committee Advances Amended Ban On Same-Sex Marriage

After three hours of testimony from hate groups and LGBT supporters, the Indiana state Senate Rules Committee has approved the amended same-sex marriage ban along party lines by a vote of 8-4. If the full Senate does not re-insert the stricken passage, the issue cannot be put to a public vote any earlier than 2016. Indiana law requires that all constitutional amendments be approved by the legislature with the exact same wording in two consecutive sessions. The bill in its current form does not match the one approved by both chambers in the last session. If the full Senate DOES re-insert the stricken passage, which also outlaws civil unions, the bill must return to the state House for another attempt to pass it with the wording approved by the last legislature. Got all that?