Lansing, Michigan -
A proposal to amend the Michigan state constitution to ban same-sex marriage failed late this afternoon in the House.
The proposal would have asked voters in August to approve adding a clause to the constitution defining marriage as limited to one man and one woman.
Lawmakers voted 65-38 on the resolution, short of the 73 votes needed to send the resolution to the Senate.
Loud applause broke out outside the House chamber and in the balcony after the vote. But, the issue may not be dead. A spokesperson for House Speaker Rick Johnson (R-LeRoy) said House leaders haven't set up a time table to reconsider the measure.
The amendment is supported by most Republicans in the legislature, but a handful joined Democrats to defeat the bill.
"Today an aggressive assault is being waged aided by activist judges who would attempt to redefine this institution that has stood the test of time for thousands of years," said Rep. Jack Hoogendyk (R-Portage).
Democratic Rep. Chris Kolb of Ann Arbor, the only openly gay lawmaker in the Legislature, used his floor speech to talk about his seven-year relationship.
"I don't know if I pop the question what my partner's response would be," he said. "I hope someday that if I do that it will be recognized by the state."
Democrats said the GOP leadership should be focusing their efforts on getting more jobs in Michigan and balancing the state budget, which is facing a $1.3 billion deficit.
©365Gay.com® 2004
The proposal would have asked voters in August to approve adding a clause to the constitution defining marriage as limited to one man and one woman.
Lawmakers voted 65-38 on the resolution, short of the 73 votes needed to send the resolution to the Senate.
Loud applause broke out outside the House chamber and in the balcony after the vote. But, the issue may not be dead. A spokesperson for House Speaker Rick Johnson (R-LeRoy) said House leaders haven't set up a time table to reconsider the measure.
The amendment is supported by most Republicans in the legislature, but a handful joined Democrats to defeat the bill.
"Today an aggressive assault is being waged aided by activist judges who would attempt to redefine this institution that has stood the test of time for thousands of years," said Rep. Jack Hoogendyk (R-Portage).
Democratic Rep. Chris Kolb of Ann Arbor, the only openly gay lawmaker in the Legislature, used his floor speech to talk about his seven-year relationship.
"I don't know if I pop the question what my partner's response would be," he said. "I hope someday that if I do that it will be recognized by the state."
Democrats said the GOP leadership should be focusing their efforts on getting more jobs in Michigan and balancing the state budget, which is facing a $1.3 billion deficit.
©365Gay.com® 2004
This article originally appeared on 365gay.com. Republished with permission.
