Indiana’s Senate voted 40-10 on March 29 to send voters a state constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage and civil unions.
The measure previously passed the House of Representatives, but would need to pass both chambers again before it could appear on the ballot in three years’ time.
Indiana law already bans gay couples from marrying, but some legislators want to create a stronger ban that would be harder to undo.
Similar constitutional amendments are in place in 30 states. At the same time, same-sex couples can marry in five states — Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont — and Washington, D.C. Five other states recognize same-sex marriages from anywhere in the world as marriages, even though same-sex couples cannot marry in those states: Maryland, New Mexico, New York, Rhode Island and California (if the marriage took place before Proposition 8 passed).
Assistance: Bill Kelley