Lawmakers Put Off Vote on Gay Marriage

Massachusetts lawmakers are putting off the inevitable ugly battle over whether or not to put a gay marriage ban on the ballot. Lawmakers approved putting the ban on the ballot once, but they have to approve it a second time.

The ballot ban has become a political hot potato. And no matter how long they wait - this time until June 14 - it's still going to be hot. We oppose adding the ban to the ballot, but this delaying makes us want to yell, "Get it over with!" The collision is inevitable.

On the bright side, perhaps pro-gay marriage forces will have a little more time to convince eight lawmakers to vote against adding the ban to the ballot. That's all it would take to turn things around. On the negative side, if a small number of legislators allowed the ban, who's to say they won't do it again?

Many lawmakers are on the fence, as they probably think they're going to lose votes no matter what they do. For the record, Senate President Therese Murray is opposed to the amendment.