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IN legislative leaders consider timing of same sex marriage amendment

Republican leaders in the Indiana House and Senate say they’re close to deciding whether a proposed state constitutional amendment banning same sex marriage will get a hearing this year in the legislature.

Indiana’s proposed marriage amendment cleared its first hurdle in 2011, as members of the General Assembly overwhelmingly passed it.  In order to go on the election ballot in 2014, the legislature needs to approve the measure again either this session or next.

Speaker Brian Bosma (R-Indianapolis) says a factor in whether the legislature will wait until next year to act on the amendment is a gay marriage case currently in the U.S. Supreme Court.

“Personally, I think it’s inadvisable to move forward with the United States Supreme Court having the question before it, but I’m not making that decision by myself and talking to folks on both sides of the issue and receiving their opinions as well.”

Senate President Pro Tem David Long (R-Fort Wayne) says his caucus is considering past experience dealing with issues before the Supreme Court.

“People did not expect the ruling that came from the Supreme Court on Obamacare…was a surprise, particularly how Justice Roberts ruled when it was Justice Kennedy who went on one side and Justice Roberts on the other, which says that there’s a lot of unpredictability with the Supreme Court.”

Long and Bosma say they will work together to resolve the issue and expect to jointly announce their plans next week.

Brandon Smith is excited to be working for public radio in Indiana. He has previously worked in public radio as a reporter and anchor in mid-Missouri for KBIA Radio out of Columbia. Prior to that, he worked for WSPY Radio in Plano, Illinois as a show host, reporter, producer and anchor. His first job in radio was in another state capitol, in Jefferson City, Missouri, as a reporter for three radio stations around Missouri. Brandon graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a Bachelor of Journalism in 2010, with minors in political science and history. He was born and raised in Chicago.
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