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HARRISBURG, Pa. — A Pennsylvania state House committee is scheduled to vote on Tuesday on a bill that would “define” marriage as a union between one man and one woman.
House Bill 1434, introduced by Representative Daryl Metcalfe (R-Butler County) in May of last year would also prohibit any other legal union that is treated as marriage or the substantial equivalent, such as civil unions or domestic partnerships.
“The institution of traditional marriage has never been under greater attack,” Metcalfe said when he introduced the bill.
“This not only includes the special interests who want to permanently redefine marriage, but unfortunately the executive branch and the federal Department of Justice who have blatantly and recklessly refused to uphold and defend its constitutionality. Once again, it falls to the responsibility of state lawmakers to restore the rule of law and carry out the will of the people,” he said.
The State Government Committee, which is chaired by Metcalfe, is expected to approve the bill and send it on to the full House.
If approved by both the House and Senate in two consecutive sessions of the state legislature, then the amendment could appear on the 2013 ballot.
Advocacy group Equality Pennsylvania has been circulating a petition calling on the state’s lawmakers to drop the amendment and focus on economic issues instead — EQPA reported that nearly 3,000 people have signed it so far.
In 2010, three Republican state senators crossed the aisle to help defeat a similar measure sponsored by Sen. John H. Eichelberger, Jr.
Currently, Pennsylvania bans same-sex marriage by law, but opponents of same-sex marriage say the institution remains vulnerable to a legal challenge without a constitutional amendment.
Voters in North Carolina and Minnesota, will consider similar amendments this year.
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Like they should vote on how to control people instead of grant someone a freedom or protection.
sometimes im ashamed to admit im from pennsylvania
The country is going backwards!
love and marriage should not be voted on. anyone can love. anyone can marry.
DISLIKE
Just wrote my representative! If anyone would like to see waht I said, contact me. :)
James, I agree… I am also very ashamed to be from the same state as Santorum. Pennsylvania is Philadelphia, Pittseburgh, and a whole lot of Alabama in between.
Políticos que votam contra os direitos dos gays, são no mínimo egoístas e ignorantes! ;)
An amendment for rights? – Will the stupidity ever end !! Our tax dollars at work!
gotta love stupidity within the government
us gay people DESERVE rights PERIOD …..civil union is MARRIAGE u straight people are the most idiotic creatures iv MET
LMAO!!! They will keep this shit up as long as they can…It keeps them in the spotlight! Never seeing what its doing to there reputation as a Human being,defending the rights of some and fighting against the rights of others??? HMMM Sounds like what the (society) went thru with its ridiculous (Race) problems years ago
It’s so very sad what’s happening in my home state, but no surprise since the Republicans have taken over all areas of state government.
America is no longer the land of the free and the home of the brave. Gay Americans are not free, and I’m pretty sure only the Gay people are the brave ones.
Let’s get Santorum to weigh in on this one. That would be, uh, entrertaining…
I totally disagree with what Larry H. said. Gay Americans are every bit as free as anyone else whether anyone else likes it or not. However, I do agree that gay people are a lot more brave than most other people. The ones who are not free are narrow-minded and intolerant.
joseph, don’t be them. there’s a fine line between straight and homophobic
why would PA do this… im sickened i live here =/
Taking away people’s 1st, 4th, 5th, 9th and 14th Amendment Rights, UNALIENABLE RIGHTS, is illegal, Unconstitutional, UNAMERICAN, unpatriotic, and DUMB AS SHIT.
As gay people we need to realize straight people are far superior to us, and because they are ignorant is erelevant because thay are straight, christian or not they just are superior beings to us homos pedifiles, sodomites and just plain sickos. Wow so unbelievable how some people think they own the world!!! God bless us all and mostly the idiots who think this way!
Actually since they don’t want their marriage ruined…..they can have civil unions we take marriage.
The government just wants to be in the spotlight and Lazy they want to bash us instead of working on the economy
Repeating what said when this was posted earlier: Why? It will just be a long string of costly appeals. Haven’t these idiots ever heard of Prop. 8?
When are we going to start seeing some pro gay marriage bills in PA?
this is why I dislike living in PA…we are such a discriminating state!!! GGGRRRRR
Marriage equality passed in new York, a decided to get married in NYC though we live in bucks county Pennsylvania. If this passes though I believe is an uphill climb, I will move to Boston. No tax dollars to pa. May the yahoos in the state rot in hell…
That would suck for me. I live in Pennsylvania. We’ll were just gonna have to vote these congressmans out. Just completely overhaul the House and Senate if they choose to deny us the right to marry.
fuck this……
And yet another reason for everyone to move out of Pennsylvania…
I think almost the entire Pennsylvania government needs to be voted out! It’s time we get some fresh faces in our state government that actually listen to their constituents!
hm, this is a prime example of why I won’t have children living in the U.S… I don’t want my kids growing up to this kind of hate if they were to come out gay/b/w.e so sad.
It was taken off the docket today! Thank God there are sensible people in power to protect our rights.
Why don’t you people that live in pa go to the supreme court that ruled in California it’s unconstitutional
Michael Bonnell: (a) that wasn’t the Supreme Court, and (b) the ruling was specific to CA.
Why don’t a bunch of ppl get together and have a sit in?Or some other form of peaceful protest.