HARRISBURG, PA — With the U.S. Supreme Court considering whether to revisit the landmark Obergefell v. Hodges ruling that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide, Pennsylvania lawmakers are moving to safeguard marriage rights at the state level.
State Senator Carolyn Comitta has introduced S.B. 434, known as the Marriage Equality Act. The bill would remove outdated language from Pennsylvania’s statutes and affirm marriage equality, ensuring protections remain in place even if federal rulings were overturned.
“This Supreme Court has proven that we cannot rely on the courts to fix the flaws in our laws, and we need to take legislative action that protects and defends our basic rights and freedoms,” Comitta said. “As we see new efforts to overturn marriage equality for same-sex couples through the court system, our legislation is needed now more than ever to protect marriage rights and demonstrate that Pennsylvania is a welcoming and caring home for all.”
In the state House, Representative Malcolm Kenyatta has introduced companion legislation, H.B. 1800. He emphasized that the state should take proactive steps in light of the potential legal challenges.
“Marriage equality is the law of the land, and PA should clean up our statutes to match that,” Kenyatta said. “The current review of Obergefell v. Hodges makes it clear that the freedom to marry is under attack – this is something I’ve warned about, as have other advocates and members of the LGBTQ+ community. We passed this legislation in the House last session with bipartisan support, but the state Senate never considered it for a vote. We must continue this work to protect all marriages across Pennsylvania.”
Representative Jessica Benham, co-chair of the LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus, also voiced support for the measure.
“While extremists in Congress and on the Supreme Court threaten to drag this country backwards by undermining marriage equality, my colleagues and I are fighting back,” Benham said. “That’s why we’ve introduced legislation to protect same-sex marriage here in our state, because we deserve the freedom to marry without fear, no matter what happens in Washington.”
The introduction of these bills highlights Pennsylvania lawmakers’ efforts to close gaps in state law and provide certainty for same-sex couples should national protections come under threat.
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