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Amendment Banning Gay Marriage back in state of Pennsylvania

by Susan Marie Kovalinsky | February 27, 2010 at 08:42 am

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Amendment banning gay marriage back in the state of Pennsylvania

In the state of PA, Senator John Eichelberger of Blair County is re-introducing Senate Bill 707, which would ban all same sex marriage in the state.

The bill was defeated twice before, in 2006 and again in 2008.

Two key Senators in the state are being called upon by gay advocates and by the Pennsylvania chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) to take a stand on the legislation, but already one has expressed her hesitancy about being involved or taking up the bill at all.

The northwest region of the state - including, presumably, the gay-friendly Pittsburgh - is said to be key in stopping this amendment from going through to becoming law.

Save those on the fringes, it’s hard to believe anyone could think that debating, yet again, a state constitutional amendment banning same sex marriage is a good idea. And yet there are some state senators who want to do this dance again.
Senator John Eichelberger of Blair County has introduced Senate Bill 707, which would codify discrimination against the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community into our state constitution, Pennsylvania’s “declaration of rights.” We’ve defeated this effort twice before, in 2006 and 2008. Are you ready to beat it again?

Northwest Pennsylvania is going to play a key role in beating back this amendment. SB 707 is currently in the Senate Judiciary Committee, and two senators from NWPA are on that committee, Senator Jane Earll and Senator Mary Jo White. If you live in Erie County, you’re represented by one of these two senators. Senator White also represents all of Forest, Venango, and Clarion Counties and parts of Butler and Warren Counties.

In the past, Senator Earll has voted against this legislation. Senator White has always voted for it but has also publicly expressed her hesitancy about even taking it up at all.