INDIANAPOLIS — Republican House Speaker Brian Bosma on Tuesday sent a proposed constitutional ban on same-sex marriage to a new committee amid concerns that it lacked support on another panel.
Bosma announced that the proposed ban and a companion bill will be considered by the House Elections and Apportionment Committee. The move came after the measure stalled in the House Judiciary Committee and Bosma threatened to substitute members of that panel to advance the measure.
“It was made at the request of the overwhelming majority of the House Republican Caucus and the request of the committee chairman in judiciary. He didn’t feel the bill would come to the floor, he knew that was the goal of an overwhelming number of the House members and thought it was best if it went to elections,” Bosma said.
He added that it’s “common procedure” to move bills between committees.
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The House elections committee is scheduled to hold a hearing on the proposed b an and companion measure Wednesday afternoon and then vote.
Bosma had promised publicly to let the ban run a normal course in the Legislature but has recently taken a more forceful role in advancing it amid concerns it would die in committee.
The House elections panel includes more conservative lawmakers than the judiciary panel, including at least one Democrat who has said he would support a ban.
The Judiciary Committee held an hours-long hearing on the measure last week but delayed a vote. It had been expected to vote on the measure this week, but Bosma conceded last week that any decision to advance the proposed ban to the full House would be a narrow one.
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Opponents of the measure, including top businesses and universities, have said it’s unnecessary because state law already bans same-sex marriage. They contend amending that ban into the constitution would paint Indiana as an unfriendly place and deter businesses and top workers from locating in the state.
The high-profile battle has caused some lawmakers to say they will change their votes and oppose the ban.
Republican Gov. Mike Pence asked lawmakers to vote on the issue this year during his State of the State address last week.
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