Indiana Drops Marriage Ban Referendum

The Indiana legislature will not ask voters to ban same-sex marriage. Not this year, at least.

Earlier today legislative leaders from both the Senate and House announced that they will not move forward a bill this year that would put a constitutional amendment on the ballot that would deny any recognition of gay and lesbian couples and their families. There remains the possibility that this could still come up in 2014, however. By tabling the discussion for this year, Indiana legislators recognize that this divisive issue takes away from other important issues facing Hoosier families. Many leading Indiana employers, including Eli Lilly, have publicly stated their opposition to the amendment. An Eli Lilly spokesperson recently stated, "We just believe that in order to attract the best and the brightest, we can't have this kind of legislation."