It is our position the legislative debate over same-sex marriages will be ultimately handled by the U.S. Supreme Court. As such, we urge our Indiana legislature to focus its finite resources on more productive pursuits.

Certainly, many Hoosiers hold strong and sincere moral and religious convictions that such marriages delude traditional families or are simply abjectly wrong. Yet, our reading of Section 4 of our Constitution leads us to believe this may be a matter for the courts. “No preference shall be given, by law, to any creed, religious society or mode of worship …” Moreover, the very first sentence reads: “We declare that all people are created equal; that they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness …”

The decision of with whom to spend one’s life is deeply personal, and perhaps among these inalienable rights integral to the American understanding of liberty. Regardless, we know it is inevitable courts will weigh in on this matter. And, we look forward to a spirited discussion. In the meantime, we encourage our legislative body to focus on matters likely to yield higher impact on jobs, public safety and other more actionable work.