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House votes in favor of Truitt HJR-3 amendment

A bipartisan group of House lawmakers has voted to remove a portion of HJR-3, the proposed constitutional amendment banning same sex marriage. 

The change would also restart the ratification process.

Twenty-three Republicans joined 29 Democrats to approve an amendment offered by West Lafayette Republican Representative Randy Truitt removing HJR-3’s second sentence, a portion that banned legal statuses “substantially similar” to marriage.  Some have expressed concerns the second sentence would prohibit the ability to offer domestic partnership benefits.  A companion bill was filed this session seeking to clarify that would not be the case.  But Hartford City Republican Kevin Mahan says while he supports HJR-3’s ban on same sex marriage, the companion bill doesn’t make anything clearer.

Truitt’s change also pushed back ratification of the amendment, requiring the General Assembly to approve it both this year and in either 2015 or 2016 in order to place it on the ballot in November of 2016.  Whiteland Republican Woody Burton disagreed with that move and says his constituents want to weigh in this year.

HJR-3 is now eligible for passage by the House.  If approved, it would head to the Senate – where lawmakers there could undo the House’s change. 

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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