Leaders end silence on same-sex marriage ban

Republican leaders will give the proposed constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage its due in the 2014 legislative session, but they say the controversial measure isn’t high on their priority list.

House Speaker Brian Bosma and Senate President Pro Tem David Long both indicated Monday the proposal would be heard, yet they downplayed its importance compared to other economic and education issues — particularly early childhood education

“This is not the most important issue facing us by far,” said Bosma, R-Indianapolis, who said he still favors the gay marriage ban. “We have to deal with the issue with dignity and respect ... and bring this 12-year discussion to a conclusion.”

The day before Tuesday’s organizational day for the 2014 Indiana General Assembly, the top four Republican and Democratic legislative leaders discussed their priorities and answered questions at the annual Indiana Chamber of Commerce legislative luncheon at the Hyatt Regency.

The legislative session will reconvene in earnest on Jan. 7.

For the past few months, Long, R-Fort Wayne, and Bosma, R-Indianapolis, have avoided discussing their plans for the proposed amendment. The measure already passed the 2011 legislative session by wide margins in the Republican-dominated House and Senate.

If it passes another legislature, it will go to voters in a statewide referendum in November 2014.

But some polls show public opinion on the issue is shifting and lawmakers have been less vocal in their support for the measure. Many Democrats are seeking to halt the issue altogether.

“It’s not the most important issue, but it is the most divisive,” said Senate Minority Leader Tim Lanane, D-Anderson. He said lawmakers should not put on the ballot a flawed amendment that would not even allow civil unions and would hurt companies trying to attract the best employees.

House Minority Leader Scott Pelath, D-Michigan City, encouraged Republicans to at least consider waiting another year to move forward. “We have an opportunity to avoid a very divisive debate among our own citizens and one that will be on display to the rest of the nation.”

Long said he’s not going to dictate what happens on this issue and will let his members decide.

None of the leaders made predictions about the amendment’s passage But Long said it’s a good assumption the vote won’t be as lopsidedly favorable as the Senate’s 40-8 vote in 2011.

After legislative leaders discussed the issue, a group of mostly mainline faith leaders gathered at the Statehouse to deliver a letter opposing the proposed amendment. It was signed by more than 300 Hoosier clergy members and faith leaders. Anti-amendment coalition Freedom Indiana and the Interfaith Coalition on Non-Discrimination organized the effort.

“The proposed ‘Marriage Amendment’ would strip civil rights from committed same-gender couples,” the letter says. “For our society to be just, the civil rights of all people, even those with whom we may disagree, must be protected. We should not be writing discrimination into our State Constitution.”

The religious leaders who signed the letter differ from other Christian leaders, often from more conservative faith traditions, who have called for the amendment’s passage.

Other issues that legislative leaders said likely will be dealt with in the 2014 legislative session include:

Early childhood education

Bosma and Long, as well as Democrat Lanane, voiced support for passing some type of early childhood education program during this session.

Bosma said the state needs to take this step, particularly for underprivileged children in the state, perhaps as a pilot program at first. Long said the concern is how expensive the program will be and how to finance it.

Health care

While Bosma said a bill may be introduced to expand Medicaid in Indiana, he doesn’t know if it will go anywhere this session.

If Medicaid is expanded under the traditional program, Long said it would mean a “guaranteed tax increase” in Indiana because he said the federal 90 percent share of the added costs to cover more people won’t stay that high.

Alex Slabosky, chairman of Cover Indiana and retired senior vice president of IU Health, said the expansion is critical for some 300,000 people who would be eligible for the coverage, including those who don’t qualify for the state’s Healthy Indianan Plan. He said health care experts have calculated that the state’s savings would more than offset the cost of the administration.

K-12 education

Republican leaders continued to express reservations about the controversial, federally prescribed Common Core academic standards.

Bosma said Indiana needs to move independently and develop standards that are compatible with national SAT and ACT standardized testing.

In order to move forward with setting Indiana’s academic standards, Long said the State Board of Education has to get past its infighting and focus on these goals.

Bosma agreed, likening the squabbles between state education agencies to a “civil war.” He was referring to Democrat Glenda Ritz’s state Department of Education and Gov. Mike Pence’s new Center for Education and Career Innovation.

If the agencies can’t agree on how to revamp the state’s A-to-F school rating system and set academic standards, then perhaps the legislature needs to step in, Bosma said.

Economic development

Eliminating the business personal property tax is the next challenge in improving Indiana’s tax structure, Bosma said. But he said it has to be done in a way that doesn’t penalize local government.

Pelath, a Democrat, said the most important economic problem facing the state is the low per-capita income of its workers. Taking steps to make health care and higher education more affordable would help put more money into Hoosiers’ pockets, he said.

Call Star reporter Barb Berggoetz at (317) 444-6294. Follow her on Twitter @barbberg.