Gay marriage amendment inches forward

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Legislative leaders formally signed off Friday on a proposed state constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, completing another step in the process toward putting it before voters later this year.

But it's still unclear exactly when voters will decide the amendment's fate.

The state constitution requires amendments to be on November ballots unless the governor calls a special election earlier. On May 19, Gov. Bob Holden called for the amendment to be put before voters on the Aug. 2 primary election ballot.

The state's top elections official, Secretary of State Matt Blunt, refused to follow Holden's wishes, saying that the actual resolution that lawmakers previously voted to approve had not been officially sent to him. No matter when the House and Senate vote to approve legislation, each chamber's top-ranking member has to sign it -- typically just a formality.

House Speaker Catherine Hanaway and Senate President Pro Tem Peter Kinder signed the resolution Friday. It was then delivered to Blunt's office.

Last week, Democratic Attorney General Jay Nixon sued Blunt on behalf of the state, claiming Blunt should heed Holden's call for an August election. Both a trial court in Jefferson City and an appeals court in Kansas City have sided with Blunt. Nixon appealed the decision to the Supreme Court, which is scheduled to hear arguments Tuesday.

State law requires that Blunt notify local election authorities of any ballot question 10 weeks before an election. The deadline to get on the Aug. 2 ballot, as Holden wanted, passed Tuesday. But the Supreme Court left the door open to bypassing that law.