Indiana Gay Marriage Ban Won't Get Hearing

It is refreshing to see that some state legislatures - unlike Virginia's - understand that there are more important issues to be addressed than constantly persecuting gay citizens. Naturally, it takes a Democrat to see that gay marriage is not even on the radar as a crucial issue. Plus, killing the measure will impede the GOP attempt to use gay bashing as a way to motivate Kool-Aid drinkers to go to the polls. The Christianists seem increasingly frantic in their attempts to marginalize gays since, I suspect, because they know that the younger generation isn't falling for their gay baiting tactics. Here are some story highlights from the Indianapolis Star (http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080119/LOCAL/301190002):

A proposed constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriages in Indiana likely was dealt a fatal blow Friday when a key lawmaker said he would not give the issue a hearing. Rep. Scott Pelath, D-Michigan City, who is chairman of the House Rules and Legislative Procedure Committee, said Friday that the most urgent issue facing the state is property taxes, not same-sex marriage, which already is banned by Indiana law.

“I’m not planning on having a hearing,” Pelath said. “The short session (of the legislature) was designed to deal with emergencies. We have a very serious problem with the property tax system, and we don’t have any gay marriages in Indiana.”

To become part of Indiana’s Constitution, the proposed amendment must pass two separately elected legislatures and then be approved by voters statewide. The proposed amendment, which declares that marriage in Indiana is defined only as the union between one man and one woman, overwhelmingly passed the Indiana Senate and House in 2005.A new legislature was elected in November 2006, and it voted on the amendment in 2007. While the Senate approved it 39-10, the House Rules committee deadlocked 5-5, and the amendment was dead for the year.If it does not pass this year, the process must begin anew, and the earliest it could be on the ballot for voters to have the final say is 2012.

A November poll for The Indianapolis Star and WTHR (Channel 13) showed that 49 percent of Hoosiers support the amendment, down from 56 percent in 2005.