Anti-Gay Marriage Amendment Dies in Wyoming House

The Wyoming House failed to take action on a legislative proposal to amend the state's constitution to bar recognition of same-sex marriages performed elsewhere. The measure passed the senate in late February and would have required a two-thirds vote in both houses to advance.

The AP reports:

House Majority Floor Leader Rep. Tom Lubnau, R-Gillette, said he didn't want to spend hours of floor time debating a bill that didn't have the votes to pass. The Legislature is set to adjourn next week.

Another bill was still pending that would change Wyoming law to specify that the state would only recognize marriages between one man and one woman. Disagreement remained between the House and Senate over whether the state should allow same-sex couples who entered civil unions elsewhere to have access to the state court system to resolve any issues that arise in their relationships.

Rep. Amy Edmonds said that considering the differences in the House and Senate positions on the bills, she believed its future is "tenuous at best." The Cheyenne Republican served on a conference committee assigned to work out a compromise position on the pending bill.

Another bill, still pending, would amend the constitution to define marriage as between a man and a woman.