Indiana Proposed Gay-Marriage Ban Will Be Reworded

Backers of a constitutional ban on gay marriage plan to reintroduce the proposal in next year's legislature, but in a slightly revised form.

The House and Senate approved a constitutional ban on gay marriage in 2005, but constitutional amendments must pass two consecutive legislatures. Democrats regained control of the House in 2006, and when the chamber's Rules Committee deadlocked on sending the amendment to the floor in '07, Speaker Patrick Bauer declared the proposal had had its chance.

Opponents in 2007 argued the proposal would have unintended consequences, such as making it impossible to file domestic violence charges involving unmarried heterosexual couples. Supporters disagreed, but with the amendment starting from scratch, Marion Representative Eric Turner says he's tweaked the wording to answer those objections.

Turner says the new version is modeled on amendments in other states which have stood up to similar scrutiny.
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