Wyoming Senate Kills Antigay Bill

The Wyoming senate rejected a bill Wednesday that would have prevented the state from recognizing marriages of same-sex couples performed outside of the state with a 16-14 vote.

Without going through a debate process, the senate rejected the bill, which had previously been pared down by excluding language that said gay and lesbian couples in marriages or civil unions from other states would be allowed to resolve disputes in their relationships (like divorce) in the courts.

Hours earlier, the house approved the compromised measure with a 31-28 vote. During those heated debates, Republican representative Owen Peterson made the argument that the bill was needed to close loopholes in Wyoming's laws, which does not specify whether the state will recognize the marriages of all couples from outside of the state. However, Rep. Pete Illoway said the existing law doesn't need to be changed.

"People are equal, whether you agree with their lifestyle or not," he said according to the article. "People that you may not agree with are still people."

The legislation, according to Wyoming News, is now dead after rounds of negotiations and compromise between the house and senate, but can be sent back to a difference conference committee by the president of the senate.