Lobbying group pressuring lawmakers on gay marriage

State lawmakers are currently facing pressure by a lobbying group regarding their stances on same-sex marriage in Indiana as the 2014 Indiana legislative session approaches.

The Indiana General Assembly will vote in January on a proposal that would put a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage on the November 2014 general election ballot.

An Indianapolis-based lobbying group is surveying legislators about their intentions when it comes time to vote in January 2014.

The survey, which ends today, is being conducted by Advance America, formerly known as Citizens Concerned for the Constitution.

Attorney Eric Miller founded the organization, which claims to be the largest pro-family, pro-church, pro-private and home schooling and pro-tax reform organization in the state.

In an Aug. 28 letter to state legislators, Miller said he intends to collect the survey’s responses and “make them available to citizens around the state.”

Although state law currently prohibits same-sex marriage, the Indiana Republican party amended a law in July, originally passed in 1997, that classifies falsifying information on an Indiana state marriage license as a Level 6 felony.

This would put same-sex couples wanting to marry at risk for automatic violation, as state marriage licenses only allow one male and one female to be listed on the legal document, according to courts.IN.gov.

State lawmakers originally delayed voting on the constitutional ban in February.

The reason for the delay was to see how the U.S. Supreme Court would rule on a similar constitutional amendment in California this summer, as well as a federal law that excludes benefits to same-sex couples, according to an article in USA Today.

As of August, the challenged law is still pending in California state court.

“The marriage amendment could have easily passed this year,” Miller said in the USA Today article. “And there will be tremendous pressure, including financial pressure, on the 150 legislators to kill the amendment in a House or Senate committee next year and to stop it on the floor of the House and Senate.”

According to a press release from Freedom Indiana, a group that identifies itself as a bipartisan statewide organization, a poll conducted Sept. 17-19 showed most Hoosiers thought amending the state constitution is the wrong method of addressing the issue of same-sex marriage.

The poll found almost three-fourths of Hoosiers are in favor of some legal recognition or of rights for gay and lesbian couples.

More than 50 percent of respondents said they would vote against the amendment if it meant banning civil unions, among other possible consequences.

“The message from these results is clear: Hoosiers overwhelmingly support some legal recognition for same-sex couples, and they oppose amending the Indiana Constitution to address the issue of same-sex marriage and rights,” Freedom Indiana Campaign Manager Megan Robertson said in the release.

In addition, Freedom Indiana presented these poll results to state legislative leaders Tuesday.

Doug Bauder, office coordinator for the IU Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Student Support Services, said Freedom Indiana and similar organizations are doing great work around the state discussing the merits of marriage equality with people of various political persuasions and religious convictions.

“I’m hopeful that the momentum that is building around this issue on a national level will impact our state and that any attempt to add discrimination to our state constitution will be defeated,” Bauder said.

Follow reporter Brett Frieman on Twitter @brttfrmn.