Senate committee approves amendment banning same-sex marriage

NDIANAPOLIS - The effort to amend Indiana's constitution to ban same-sex marriage appears dead this year, but that didn't stop a Senate committee from approving the legislation Thursday.

The Senate Judiciary Committee, on a 5-4 party line vote, advanced a resolution to begin the process of amending the state constitution to ban gay marriage. Even if the resolution clears the full Republican-led Senate, it is expected to die in the Democrat-controlled House, where a key committee chairman has said he won't give the issue a hearing.

Sen. Brandt Hershman, the resolution's sponsor, said he had hoped that the House would want to debate the matter this year in light of recent court rulings in other states.

"Instead, they chose not to discuss the issue at all," said Hershman, R-Wheatfield.  Senate committee approves amendment banning same-sex marriage
Munster Times - Munster,IN,USA