Michigan house defeats same-sex marriage ban

The Michigan house on Tuesday voted 65-38 against a proposed constitutional amendment that would have denied marriage, civil unions, or domestic partnerships to same-sex couples. The resolution needed a two-thirds vote from the house and senate to appear on the August primary ballot, where it would have needed support from a majority of voters to be added to the state constitution. The measure was supported by many GOP lawmakers, but three Republicans voted against it. "Enshrining discrimination in any constitution is always wrong," said Human Rights Campaign president Cheryl Jacques. "We applaud the representatives for voting to treat Michigan's citizens equally in the state's guiding document. Elected officials in Washington [D.C.] should follow Michigan's lead and get back to concentrating on the issues that are their constituents' priorities - not messing with the Constitution."