[Vision2020] Anti-gay amendment killed in ID Senate

[Mark Solomon]

 From Betsy Russell's Spokesman Review blog.

http://www.spokesmanreview.com/boise/blog.asp

Mark Solomon

Marriage amendment killed in Senate

After an hour-and-a-half long debate before a packed gallery, the 
Idaho Senate voted 21-14 in favor of an amendment to the Idaho 
Constitution to ban gay marriage and civil unions - and that's not 
enough to pass the measure, which needed a two-thirds vote, or 24 
votes in the Senate, to pass. Idaho law already bans same-sex 
marriage.

Sponsors said they'll be back. "Whether it'll come back this year or 
next year, this will come back," said Sen. Gerry Sweet, R-Meridian. 
"We'll try to convince three people of the merits of this bill."

But others said they hoped the measure was gone for good. "I think 
we'll be happy to lay it to rest for now," said Rep. Nicole LeFavour, 
D-Boise, Idaho's first openly gay lawmaker. "We did not start this."

Sen. Dick Compton, R-Coeur d'Alene, spoke out strongly in the debate. 
He said he opposes same-sex marriage, but sees no need to change the 
Constitution. "I'm convinced we have very strong laws on the books 
right now, and there is no horde of people advocating alternate 
lifestyles coming over the wall at us," he said after the vote. "I'd 
given it an awful lot of thought. I think it's just one of those 
divisive things.
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