Mass. lawmakers advance proposed constitutional gay marriage ban

[wicket]

LINK

Lawmakers in Massachusetts, the only state where gay marriage is legal, on Tuesday voted to advance a proposed constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, a critical step toward putting the measure the 2008 ballot.

The proposed amendment, which would define marriage as between one man and one woman but ban future gay marriages, still needs approval of the next legislative session before it can go onto the ballot.

The vote Tuesday in the constitutional convention came without debate, immediately after Senate President Robert Travaglini officially opened the joint session.

Earlier in the day, Gov-elect Deval Patrick had met with Travaglini and House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi to urge against a vote, calling it a "question of conscience." He said the proposed amendment was the first time the amendment process was being used "to consider reinserting discrimination into the constitution."

But the state Supreme Judicial Court ruled last week that lawmakers' had shirked their constitutional duties in November by recessing instead of voting on the proposal.

[Mass]

1. Let's hope the next legistature will be more intelligent.

We definitively do not need this on the ballot. Same-sex marriage has been in MA for two years now and nobody has suffered from that.

[wicket]

2. I agree completely

Gay rights are CIVIL rights, PERIOD.

(btw, howdy neighbor! :hi:)

[wicket]

3. kick

:kick: