Subject: Senate Committee Defers Anti-marriage Bill in South Dakota
From: [email-masked]
Date: Mon, 12 Feb 1996 19:39:33 -0500

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

     House Bill 1143 has failed in its second committee of the South Dakota
Legislature.   The Senate Judiciary Committee today deferred House Bill 1143
that would change current law to read that marriage is only for "a man and a
woman."  Proponants hoped this bill would ban the marriages of same-sex
partners that might come to the mainland from Hawaii.   The vote was 4-2 to
defer the bill to the 36th day of the legislative session.  There are only 35
days in the session.  The move effectively killed the bill unless the full
Senate "smokes-out" the bill and puts it back on the Senate floor.
     Senator Fred Whiting, R-Rapid City, chastised Rep. Roger Hunt,
R-Brandon, for writing a bill that hides its real purpose and doesn't exactly
state what is intended.  He told Hunt that he didn't think the bill would
accomplish the task that was hoped for by proponants since South Dakota law
recognizes marriages from other states.  Whiting called the bill misleading
for proponants.
     Several Senators commented on the large amount of mail they had received
from both sides of this bill.
     Proponants are likely to win the "smoke-out" vote as they did in the
House.  However, the Senate is more likely to carefully consider the issue as
it did a similar bill the previous year.  Last year in the South Dakota
Senate,  an outright ban on same-sex marriages failed by one vote to be
scheduled on the Senate calendar.
     Gay community leaders in South Dakota hailed today's deferring vote as a
positive step.
      Sioux Falls Metropolitan Community Church pastor Don Reusch said he
expected the Senate to do what it did last year, "It'll probably get smoked
out of committee and get voted down by the Senate."
-30-
Free Americans Creating Equal Status of South Dakota, Inc.
Barry Wick, Executive Director
13121 South Creekview Road
Rapid City, South Dakota  57702-8503
Phone  605-343-5577
FAX  605-394-8962
email:  [email-masked]
http://www.qrd.org/qrd/usa/south_dakota/FACES