Gay marriage supporters believe an
Indiana effort to ban such unions with a constitutional amendment
limiting marriage to heterosexual couples will clear its final
legislative hurdle early next year and make its way to the 2014
ballot.
Lawmakers overwhelmingly approved the
amendment in 2011. But that vote was taken prior to supporters'
historic gains earlier this month. In two states, Maryland and
Washington, opponents failed to block laws approved by lawmakers from
taking effect. Maine became the first state to legalize such unions
at the ballot box, and Minnesota became the first state to reject an
effort to ban marriage equality.
In comments to WIBC radio, Republican
Rep. Eric Turner, the amendment's author, dismissed the wins, saying
those states are more liberal than Indiana.
Turner, however, would not say whether
he has decided to resubmit the amendment, which needs a second
legislative vote to reach the ballot box.
“We'll have a leadership meeting I
would suppose sometime in December and we'll determine what the best
plan of action is for that,” he
said.
Rick Sutton, executive director of
Indiana Equality, the state's largest gay rights advocate, predicted
lawmakers would approved the amendment and that they would vote on it
early in the legislative session.