The votes:
FOR:
Woody Burton, R-Whiteland
Casey Cox, R-Fort Wayne
Richard Hamm, R-Richmond
Kathy Richardson, R-Noblesville
Milo Smith, R-Columbus
Ed Soliday, R-Valparaiso
Holli Sullivan, R-Evansville
Jeff Thompson, R-Lizton
Timothy Wesco, R-Osceola
AGAINST:
John Bartlett, D-Indianapolis
Kreg Battles, D-Vincennes
Phil GiaQuinta, D-Fort Wayne
EXCUSED:
Terry Goodin, D-Crothersville
The Indiana Assembly’s Election and Apportionment committee passed House Joint Resolution 3 in a 9-3 vote Wednesday after more than four hours of testimony.
As a result, the amendment will be presented to the General Assembly before being given to voters to decide if the state constitution should be changed in November.
The vote followed a week of internal debate among House Republicans and a power play by House Speaker Brian Bosma, which lined up the affirmative vote Wednesday.
HJR-3 would define marriage in Indiana as “between one man and one woman.” The bill also says “a legal status identical or substantially similar to that of marriage for unmarried individuals shall not be valid or recognized.”
If passed in November’s elections, the amendment would prevent future attempts for marriage equality in Indiana and potentially eliminate health care benefits as well as hospital visitation rights for same-sex couples.
The ban won the support of all the committee’s Republicans, but at least one cautioned that his support could hinge on changes to the measure.
“I was willing to bring it to the floor, and when it comes to the floor we’ll take a look at it then,” said Rep. Casey Cox (R-Fort Wayne). Cox said he would like to remove a sentence from the amendment that likely bans civil unions and could ban employer benefits for same-sex couples.
A shift in public attitudes and a strong organized effort from opponents in the state’s business and higher education communities have caused many lawmakers to reconsider their support for the amendment.
Ball State spoke out against the proposed ban Nov. 15. The Muncie City Council followed suit, voting to oppose HJR-3 unanimously on Jan. 13.
Opponents of the ban, led by the group Freedom Indiana, again outnumbered supporters at the second hearing. Activists wore red clothes and waved their hands in the air silently, instead of clapping during testimony.
Opponents of the amendment relied on business leaders again Wednesday to lay out their argument. Executives for engine-maker Cummins and pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly have said such an amendment could make it difficult to recruit talent from around the world.
Marya Rose, general counsel with Columbus-based Cummins, on Wednesday sought to discredit testimony from supporters who were flown in from out of state.
“For some reason I feel compelled to let you know I am a lifelong Hoosier,” she said, to laughs from opponents of the measure.
Democrats on the House elections committee complained of the short notice they received from Bosma that the measure would be taken up Wednesday afternoon. The panel planned to vote on the ban after Wednesday’s hearing.
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