Source: Philadelphia Daily News, Bulletin, Associated Press via Philadelphia Inquirer, Patriot-News
Advocates of marriage as a special right for heterosexual couples had hoped to debate a measure today in the Pennsylvania senate that would have started a long process to add discriminatory language to the commonwealth's constitution.

Instead, supporters of the measure quietly withdrew it from consideration yesterday in the face of Senate opposition to parts of the measure and after it became clear to them that it would not be considered in the state House if it had passed out of the Senate.

Sen. Mike Brubaker (R-Lancaster) introduced the the constitutional measure that would have defined marriage as a union between one man and one woman, was tabled indefinitely yesterday.

His bill passed out of committee last week after a contentious hearing. He and his supporters had hoped to debate it in the full senate last night or today.

Sen. Vincent J. Fumo (D., Phila.), a staunch opponent of the measure, told reporters that Senate Republican leaders used House opposition as an excuse to table the bill.

Fumo said a majority of senators would have supported a floor amendment to strip out wording to ban civil unions, which supporters considered crucial. "A win is a win," Fumo said. "It can look ugly, it can look great. But this is definitely a win."

House Speaker Dennis O'Brien (R-Philadelphia) stated that he would refer the amendment to a committee whose chair is opposed to the measure.

"Sen. Brubaker's very disappointed," his spokesman Nathan Flood told The Bulletin. "Sen. Brubaker hopes that the speaker of the House would reconsider sending the bill to the state government committee."

Before Brubaker shelved his provision, Fumo said that he would introduce language effectively ending no-fault divorce in Pennsylvania.

Yesterday, the state senator from South Philadelphia, who has argued that the amendment would "embed discrimination" within the constitution, said he would propose legislation to "outlaw the dissolution of most marriages in Pennsylvania."

Fumo's amendment would have banned divorce except in cases such as "malicious" desertion or "intolerable" conditions.

But his anti-divorce measure really was aimed at defending the gay community from the proposed "marriage amendment," Philadelphia Daily News reports. 

Fumo spokesman Gary Tuma told The Bulletin that his boss' intention was largely to expose hypocrisy among gay-marriage opponents who did not want to legislate against marital breakup, something that the twice-divorced Philadelphia legislator has called a bigger threat to marriage than homosexual unions.

Asked whether Fumo would actually like to see any changes to Pennsylvania law regarding the facility with which couples can get divorced, Tuma answered, "I don't know that he wants any."

The marriage-amendment's backers say it's not discriminatory, but aims to protect the "sanctity of the marital institution."

Last month, Fumo suggested that most Pennsylvania state legislators would vote to make slavery legal if they could cast their ballots anonymously.

Fumo is nearing retirement and faces trial on public-corruption charges. He decided to retire after a recent heart attack.

After a rowdy hearing, the appropriations committee of the Senate voted 18-8 on Monday to move the bill to the Senate for a vote. The bill sought to add to the commonwealth's constitution these words: "No union other than a marriage between one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as marriage or the functional equivalent of marriage by the commonwealth."

Pennsylvania already has a law barring gay marriage, but some lawmakers say it needs to be strengthened with a constitutional amendment. Sen. John Gordner, R-Columbia, said at the committee meeting, the words "functional equivalent of marriage" are needed in Senate Bill 1250 "to prevent something that would be civil unions."

Following the committee meeting Monday, a boisterous crowd of opponents gathered in the capitol rotunda for a rally and chanted "Stop this bill."

Fumo was among the legislators who spoke at the rally. He  said, "When the basic human rights are threatened, then no one's rights are safe." Sen. Connie Williams, D-Montgomery, noted, "Pennsylvania's constitution was never intended to be a tool that restricts people's rights."

Rep. Dan Frankel, D-Allegheny, said he was taught in school that the constitution was put there to protect individuals' rights, so "it takes a lot of chutzpah to talk about putting discrimination into the constitution of Pennsylvania."

Full article: Pa. proposal on marriage is tabled | Philadelphia Daily News
Same-Sex Marriage Ban Stalls | Evening Bulletin
Senate tables measure on same-sex-marriage ban | Philadelphia Inquirer (AP)
Gay marriage ban moves to full Senate | Patriot-News (5/5/2008)