Nevada lawmakers are expected to
consider a bill which would repeal a 2002 constitutional amendment
banning gay marriage in the state.
Assemblyman Elliot Anderson, a Democrat
from Las Vegas, announced that he will introduce a bill in February
which would begin the process of repealing the ban.
Nevada is the only state which requires
that a citizen-initiated amendment be voted on twice. An
overwhelming 69.6 percent of voters first approved Question 2 in
2000. Support dropped slightly to 67 percent for the second and
final vote in 2002.
Anderson told the Las Vegas Sun
that he believes attitudes on the issue have shifted since 2002.
“All people are created equal and we
must make sure our constitution is not sideways on that issue,”
said
Anderson. “We want to give them [the voters] an opportunity to
pass judgment.”
To eliminate the amendment, which
defines marriage as a heterosexual union, Anderson's proposal needs
the approval of lawmakers and the voters. However, it would only be
needed to be voted on at the ballot box once.
A recent Public Policy Polling survey
found 47 percent of Nevada voters think gay marriage should be legal,
while 42 percent disagree.
Nevada began recognizing the
relationships of gay and lesbian couples with domestic partnerships
in 2009. Since then, 3,887 couples have filed to enter the union.