State senator John Eichelberger, a Republican from Blair County in central Pennsylvania, plans to introduce a bill to amend the constitution to ban same-sex marriage, reports the Philadelphia Daily News.
Pennsylvania enacted a law in 2006 to define marriage as a union between a man and a woman, but Eichelberger contends a constitutional amendment is needed to prevent courts from overturning that law.
The amendment would require approval from the house and senate in two consecutive two-year sessions, followed by approval from voters in a statewide referendum. Proposals to amend the constitution to ban same-sex marriage have failed in the past two legislative sessions.
Despite recent advances such as the extension of health benefits to the domestic partners of state employees, attitudes on same-sex marriage remain slower to change in Pennsylvania than in neighboring states. A poll from Muhlenberg College and the Allentown Morning Call earlier this month showed that support for same-sex marriage rose from 35% to 42% since 2004, with public opinion split on a constitutional ban.
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