Indiana lawmakers in the House and
Senate on Thursday announced they have delayed a vote on a proposed
gay marriage ban.
Republican state Representative Eric
Turner's proposed constitutional amendment seeks to limit marriage to
heterosexual couples. Lawmakers approved the amendment in 2011 but a
second vote is needed before it can go on the ballot.
Republican leaders said they are
apprehensive about acting on the issue before the Supreme Court rules
on it but did not rule out the possibility of a vote next year.
Marc Solomon, national campaign
director at Freedom to Marry, called the decision “encouraging.”
“It's encouraging to see Indiana's
leaders making this choice, because limiting the freedom to marry is
never in the best interest of a state, its residents, or its
businesses,” Solomon said in a statement. “Just as corporate
allies like Eli Lilly and Cummings stood against this amendment,
Freedom to Marry will continue to press for actions that take us
forward, not backward, on marriage. This announcement gives the
people of Indiana some much-needed time to have important
conversations about marriage and freedom. As they do, we are
confident that lawmakers of both parties will recognize that
permanently eliminating the freedom to marry in the state
constitution is wrong for Indiana's families.”
A December WISH-TV/Ball State Hoosier
Survey found only 38 percent of respondents support the amendment.