Yesterday I posted that the proposed ballot measure that would put a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage before Arizona voters had been rejected in the Arizona senate by a 14-11 vote. I mentioned also that the senate voted to reconsider the measure at another date.
Turns out that date could be as early as Friday:
“When it became apparent the proposal had just 15 votes, one fewer than it needed, Phoenix Republican Sen. Linda Gray — a supporter — switched her vote in a procedural move that will allow her to request the measure be brought back for reconsideration in the waning days of the legislative session. That would give another supporter, Sen. Karen Johnson, a Mesa Republican who is on vacation, time to come back and vote. The surprise roll call Wednesday, which had been weeks in coming, quickly spun into a heated debate over marriage and ‘social norms.’ It took place even though supporters knew it would be difficult to rally enough votes with Johnson absent. Three other senators, including Tucson Democrat Victor Soltero, were absent, but opponents of the measure say all three are against it…Supporters blamed Johnson for the failure, without naming her directly. Johnson, however, in a Senate memo Monday, indicated she expected the marriage referendum vote to come on Friday and would ‘make a special effort’ to return for it even though she planned to be gone through July 10.”
Senate stalls gay-marriage amendment [arizona daily star]
