The Indiana Senate Rules Committee passed the amended House Joint Resolution 3 on Monday, sending it the Republican-heavy Indiana Senate.
A vote in the Senate could come within the week.
The constitutional amendment passed with its second sentence eliminated, which allows the legal recognition of domestic partnerships in Indiana.
The panel voted 8-4 on Monday afternoon along party lines to advance the measure, following three hours of testimony from supporters and opponents.
Sen. Tim Lanane spoke in opposition to the constitutional marriage ban near the end of discussion. He said there is no rational basis for Indiana to move forward with HJR-3.
“I think proposals like HJR-3 speaks more to our past and not for our future,” Lanane said.
The House approved the proposal last month after removing language that also would ban civil unions.
The amendment won broad bipartisan support in 2011 and must pass the legislature again this session to go to voters in a November referendum. The House’s move to remove the civil union language could delay the referendum for two years.
The second sentence’s continued elimination provided hope for organizations in opposition to HJR-3. Freedom Indiana campaign manager Megan Robertson released a statement on HJR-3’s passage to the Senate.
“We remain determined to defeat HJR-3, but we are grateful that the committee voted today to keep at bay the extremely dangerous second sentence that would permanently prohibit civil unions, domestic partnerships and other legal protections for same-sex couples,” Robertson said.
Gov. Mike Pence said he supports the original proposal and has refused to comment further as lawmakers hash out the details.
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