BABY STEPS

Nevada Senate Committee Approves Repeal Of State’s Gay Marriage Ban

nevada-welcomeWe had no idea Nevada got invited to the marriage equality party, but welcome anyway, Silver State.

On Thursday, the Nevada Senate Committee on Legislative Operations and Elections approved a proposed constitutional amendment that would repeal the state’s ban on same-sex marriage.

Las Vegas Sun News reports:

The original proposal sought only to repeal language in the state constitution that defines marriage as between a man and a woman. But a late amendment adopted by the committee today adds that the state “shall recognize marriages and issue marriage licenses, regardless of gender.”

“We felt it would be cleaner to both eliminate the current prohibition and make it clear Nevada does not discriminate in any way,” said Sen. Tick Segerblom, D-Las Vegas, who introduced the bill.

In 2002, Nevada voters overwhelmingly approved an amendment to the state constitution that “only a marriage between a male and female person shall be recognized and given effect in this state.” Then in 2009, despite a veto from then-Governor Jim Gibbons, the legislature passed a domestic partnership law affording rights similar to marriage.

Segerblom’s bill now goes to the full Senate, but it will have to be approved by this session of the legislature and again in 2015 before being placed on the ballot for voters to decide during the 2016 election.

And of course, there are staunch opponents to repealing the ban on gay marriage, such as Janine Hansen, president of Nevada Families for Freedom, who called the resolution a “kick in the teeth” to voters who banned gay marriage in the first place.

Okay, so maybe Nevada didn’t get invited to the party so much as just crash with a bunch of its rowdy friends, drink all the booze, pee in the kitchen sink and drive into the mailbox on its way back to ten years ago — but it was nice to see ’em.

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