Senate panel amends ban on same-sex marriage

A state Senate panel passed a proposed constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex marriage but narrowed its scope in a way that conservatives say weakens the bill.

The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 13-1 yesterday to add language to the state constitution that defines marriage as between a man and a woman. It mirrors a marriage-definition law that has been on the books in Pennsylvania since 1996. The bill moves to the full Senate.

But the panel amended the bill that passed the House last week, removing language to ban the legal recognition of marriagelike relationships, such as civil unions. Sen. Jane Earll, R-Erie, proposed deleting the wording, saying it was ambiguous.

Michael Geer of the Pennsylvania Family Institute said he was disappointed by the change.

"What this Senate committee did was severely weaken the ability of the people in Pennsylvania to protect marriage," he said.

Deleting the ban on recognizing marriagelike relationships, he said, opens "the door to civil unions, which is the equivalent of marriage in every way except name."

He said it also puts "at great peril" the ability for Pennsylvania to ban same-sex marriage for at least three years.

Geer was referring to the process involved in amending the constitution, which requires passage of a bill twice before a public referendum.

Others hailed yesterday's vote as a recognition of the impact a ban on marriagelike relationships could have on gay couples and unmarried heterosexual couples.

Opponents say that extending the ban to such relationships could affect hospital visitation rights, survivor benefits, gay couples' adoption rights and protection-from-abuse rights.

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