We knew it wouldn’t take long for the marriage bug to start biting more states after Minnesota became the 12th to legalize same-sex marriage earlier this month. Though we still have a long battle in front of us, KOLO TV is reporting that Nevada may next in line. But it’s not going to be easy.
On Thursday, the Nevada Assembly Committee on Legislative Operations and Elections passed legislative measure SRJ-13, which if successful, could one day overturn the state’s 2002 Protection of Marriage Act that defines marriage as “between a man and a woman.”
The resolution is expected to pass a full assembly vote, but the process could take years before a new bill goes into effect. [As Queerty reader erkwm points out, it must pass successive legislative sessions in both the Assembly and the Senate after the 2014 election, a tall order indeed.]
The new bill would then need voters’ approval in 2016 before becoming law.
Three years? Sheesh. Let’s just hope the Supreme Court handles this mess before then.
ryanthehulk
Minnesota became the 12th state, it’s only 13th if you are counting the District of Columbia as a state.
erikwm
Not the best explanation, Queerty.
For a constitutional amendment to go before voters in Nevada, it has to be approved in successive legislative sessions. That means the same bill must now be approved again by both the Assembly and Senate in the next legislative session following the 2014 election. If passed by the legislature then, it will go before voters in the 2016 election. To become law, it will then need a majority vote from the electorate in 2016. This was the process that was followed to pass the ban and is the process that must be followed to repeal it.
There are a lot of states that have the same process for approving constitutional amendments — Virginia and Wisconsin are two that come to mind.
The Supreme Court is unlikely to resolve this before 2016.
JDJase
@erikwm: Exactly, this article was awful. Looked like someone trying to quickly explain it via text message. Especially since the headline isn’t even appropriate (the Senate passed it weeks ago).
For what it’s worth, the full assembly passed the measure 27-14. So that’s it for now, on to the 2015 session now.
Thomas
@ryanthehulk: California legalized same-sex marriage before prop 8 which makes Minnesota the 13th State to pass marriage equality.