Lawmakers took another step Wednesday toward putting a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage on the ballot in Pennsylvania.The state Senate approved the proposed amendment 38-12.
Pennsylvania already has a law defining marriage as between a man and a woman. But Sen. Jane Orie and other Republicans warned that without a constitutional amendment, a judge could act on a legal challenge and effectively legalize gay marriage or civil unions.
Opponents questioned the need to guard against a hypothetical challenge. "Mind your own business, stay out of the bedroom," said Sen. Vincent J. Fumo, a Democrat.
Amending the state constitution requires approval by the House and Senate in successive two-year sessions of the General Assembly and then the approval of voters in a statewide referendum.
Senators must now work out differences with a version passed by the House, which also prohibits civil unions.
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