"There can be no ambiguity on this issue," said state Rep. Gloria Haskins, R-Greenville, during a press conference Tuesday at the Statehouse. "We are determined to forge forever the certainty of marriage between a man and a woman."

Prompted by last week's Massachusetts Supreme Court ruling, which granted same-sex marriages the same rights and responsibilities as traditional marriages, South Carolina lawmakers are scrambling to shore up loopholes in the state's gay marriage ban, established in 1996.

Haskins and fellow Rep. Marty Coates, R-Florence, have authored identical bills that deal with the matter. More than 60 House members have signed on to the legislation.

On Tuesday, Coates said the measure was in response to the "onslaught" of challenges to the gay marriage ban across the country. "The day has come for the General Assembly of South Carolina, and hopefully with the governor concurring, to stand up for what most South Carolinians believe to be correct regarding marriage," he said.

Asked about the issue, Gov. Mark Sanford said, "As Jenny and I are the parents of four little boys, we've always taught our kids that marriage was something between a man and a woman. As governor, I am supportive of legislation that furthers that definition here in South Carolina."

Senate President Pro Tem Glenn McConnell, R-Charleston, said if the bill makes its way to the Senate, it would receive close consideration.

It is possible such a law could be deemed unconstitutional. The U.S. Constitution says, "Full faith and credit shall be given in each state to the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of every other state."

Coates said his legislation might be challenged in that regard.

"Cleary that is the question that seems to be prevailing across the nation, whether or not one state can in fact not recognize the laws of another state," he said. "We believe that at some point, the federal government is going to have to address this issue."

Currently there are two bills in Congress that call for a constitutional amendment to define marriage as a union between one man and one woman. State Rep. John Graham Altman, R-Charleston, wants to add an amendment to either Haskins' or Coates' bill that will do the same thing.

South Carolina is one of 38 states to ban gay marriages. It is one of 17 considering strengthening its ban by addressing issues such as employer-provided domestic partner benefits, joint and second-parent adoptions, recognition of same-sex couples' legal contracts and health care decision-making proxies.

In the crowd Tuesday was Tony Snell, former president of the S.C. Gay and Lesbian Pride Movement. Snell said he was amazed the legislators were so concerned with gay marriages.

"This is nothing but red meat thrown out during an election year," he said. "They say they are for families. Then they should spend their time addressing the economy and jobs. Unemployment, think about what that's doing to families."

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