Mass. Legislature votes 157-39 to reject constitutional amendment

Mass. Legislature rejects proposed amendment banning gay marriage
By Steve LeBlanc, Associated Press Writer | September 14, 2005

BOSTON --A year after the nation's first state-sanctioned same-sex marriages began taking place, the Massachusetts Legislature on Wednesday overwhelmingly rejected a proposed constitutional amendment that sought to ban gay marriage but legalize civil unions.

It was the second time the Legislature had confronted the measure, crafted as a response to a 2003 court decision legalizing same-sex marriage. Under state law, lawmakers were required to approve the measure in two consecutive sessions before it could be put on the 2006 ballot.

After less than two hours of debate, a joint session of the House and Senate voted 157-39 against the measure, far more than the majority vote needed.

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