The state House of Representatives overwhelmingly
agreed Tuesday that South Carolina should change its Constitution to
deny the recognition of same-sex marriages.
The legislation is intended to "bolster and strengthen the defense of
traditional marriage and defend traditional values in South Carolina,"
said Rep. Greg Delleney, R-Chester.
Since same-gender marriages are already illegal in South Carolina,
the amendment would apply only to marriages recognized in other states.
Sixteen other states already have changed their constitutions to
define marriage, Delleney said. South Carolina and 10 other states are
doing so, he said.
"I fully believe that the vast majority of South Carolinians believe
in traditional marriage," said Rep. Gary Simrill, R-Rock Hill, a staunch
supporter of the proposal. "The citizenry and those I've heard from ...
believe, as I do, that traditional marriage is under attack and needs to
be protected. This is a way of both affirming that position and
bolstering that fact."
The Constitution would have a section added that says marriage is
"exclusively defined as a union between one man and one woman." The
amendment would void all other types of unions, including those
recognized in other states.
The legislation passed its second vote Tuesday by a 96-3 margin, well
above the two-thirds majority needed for approval. The House will take a
routine third vote on the bill today.
"It wasn't close," Rep. Herb Kirsh, D-Clover, quipped about Tuesday's
vote. "Whether you like it or not, the majority of the people in South
Carolina feel that way. That's certainly why I voted for it."
The three legislators who voted against the proposal, Kirsh said,
were Gilda Cobb-Hunter, D-Orangeburg, James Smith, D-Richland and Todd
Rutherford, D-Richland.
In 1996, the General Assembly adopted a law banning gay marriage. But
supporters think that statute, which limits marriage to a union between
a man and a woman, does not go far enough. Advocates see the proposed
constitutional amendment as an attempt to strengthen the law.
The proposed amendment is directed against states such as
Massachusetts, where same-sex weddings have been sanctioned.
"Everybody here knew it was going to pass, it was just a question of
how big," Kirsh said. "The feeling is, in this state that's the way it
should be. ... I kind of feel that way."
Delleney, the measure's chief sponsor, earlier predicted the
resolution would clear the House by a substantial margin. He could not
be reached for further comment Tuesday.
"This tells other courts, like the U.S. Supreme Court, that marriage
ought to be defined the way it has always been defined since Genesis,"
Delleney said last week.
Rep. Ralph Norman, R-Rock Hill, said the vote exemplifies the state's
devotion to traditional values. Norman expected to see more debate on
the House floor, "but it passed rather quickly."
"I think it signifies that South Carolina is a state that values the
family unit," he said.
The proposed amendment also requires approval by two-thirds of the
Senate, the signature of Gov. Mark Sanford and a simple majority vote of
the people.
A referendum on the question would come in 2006, a gubernatorial
election year.
Jason Foster • 329-4066
jfoster@heraldonline.com
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
