Pennsylvania State Representative Daryl
Metcalfe on Thursday announced he will reintroduce a resolution that
seeks to ban gay marriage in the state.
“This constitutional amendment will
eliminate confusion as to what constitutes a legal marriage, and it
will also designate marriage as the only type of union that will be
legally recognized in Pennsylvania,” Metcalfe said in a press
release.
“It is important that we support
traditional marriage and have constitutional amendments to protect it
at the state level. Marriage is a common good, not a special
interest. Special interests should not have the right to redefine
marriage for all of us,” he added.
Metcalfe, a Republican, first
introduced a similar measure in 2011.
Last April, the House State Government
Committee, which Metcalfe chaired, put off debate on the measure.
According to Capitol
Ideas, a blog of The Morning Call, Metcalfe cited a large
number of amendments attached to the bill as the reason for his
decision to set it aside.
Gay rights advocate Equality
Pennsylvania, which packed the committee hearing with supporters and
launched a
petition calling on lawmakers to drop the amendment and focus on
economic issues instead, claimed victory on its Facebook page.
On
Thursday, the group vowed to “stop Daryl Metcalfe in the new
year.”
Republicans control both chambers of
the General Assembly.