Republicans walk, same sex bill dies
05:44 PM EST on Friday, March 26, 2004
By TONY HYATT / WHAS11 News
FRANKFORT, Ky.--In a dramatic fashion, House Republicans walked off the floor of their chamber Friday during an emotional debate over same-sex marriages.
As a result, a bill that would call for a constitutional amendment on defining marriage in Kentucky as a union between a man and a woman died because it could not muster 60 votes. "It is a sham and just trickery by the leadership of the majority party, and I will have nothing to do with it," said Minority Floor Leader Jeff Hoover. He then encouraged the walk out. The discussion was over Senate Bill 245, which not only would ban same-sex marriage, but would also place restraints on the judicial branch of government from overruling the law.


~

John Kerry Tells MTV News: Sexual Orientation Matter Of Genetics, Not Choice
John Kerry (file)
Photo: MTV News
"I think that people have a right in America to be who they are, who they are born as, and we are all God's children, and that is my view." — John Kerry Senator and presidential contender John Kerry weighed in on the ongoing gay-marriage debate, saying that he believes that sexual orientation is a matter of genetics, not choice, and that both gay and straight people should be accorded equal rights under the law


~

Specter Waits for States on Gay Marriage
LARA JAKES JORDAN
Associated Press
WASHINGTON - The Republican in line to chair the Senate Judiciary Committee is not ready to endorse President Bush's suggestion for a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, saying Friday he will wait to see whether states act. Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, a moderate facing a conservative challenger in the April 27 GOP primary, said he believes marriage should be for heterosexual couples. Still, he refused to endorse a measure before the Judiciary Committee that would clear the way to try to amend the Constitution to outlaw homosexual marriages.