Pennsylvania State Senator Introduces Constitutional Amendment to Ban Gay Marriage
State Senator John H. Eichelberger, Jr. (pictured above) formally introduced Senate Bill 707, a joint resolution to amend the Pennsylvania Constitution to include the definition of marriage as being between one man and one woman. The bill has 15 co-sponsors, and is expected to be referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee.
“Pennsylvania voters have the opportunity to decide how they want marriage to be defined and not allow an activist judge to make that decision for them,” Eichelberger said. “Thirty one other states have already gone through a similar process and in each state, the definition of marriage was upheld.”
SB 707 would insert the following language into Article I of the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania: “Only a union of one man and one woman shall be valid and recognized as a marriage in this Commonwealth.”
As a joint resolution, SB 707 must pass both chambers of the General Assembly in two successive legislative sessions, and will appear as a referendum on the ballot. If passed, the language will be added to the Constitution.
Currently, Pennsylvania statute defines marriage as “between a man and a woman." The state is one of the few that does not have a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage.
On Top Magazine reports:
Pennsylvania voters – like much of the country – are clearly divided on the issue. According to a June, 2009 Franklin & Marshall statewide poll, 48% of respondents support defining marriage as a heterosexual union in the state constitution, while 46% said they were opposed. However, a majority of voters (58%) support civil unions for gay and lesbian couples.
(via Eichelberger’s press release, photo via senatoreichelberger.com)
