Massachusetts Advances Gay Marriage Ban

BOSTON, MA -- Massachusetts legislators voted to advance a proposed constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage Tuesday, a critical step toward putting the measure on the 2008 ballot, Boston.com reports.

The amendment would ban future gay marriages by defining marriage as a union between one man and one woman.

The vote in the constitutional convention came without debate, but the measure still needs approval of the next legislative session before it can go onto the ballot.

The state Supreme Judicial Court ruled last week that lawmakers' had shirked their constitutional duties in November by recessing instead of voting on the proposal but justices acknowledged they had no legal way to force action.

The supporters of the amendment collected signatures from 170,000 people in an effort to get the question on the ballot.

The amendment would need to be approved by 50 member of the current Legislature and 50 members of the new Legislature before going to voters on the 2008 ballot. On Tuesday, 61 lawmakers backed moving the measure forward, compared to 132 opposed.