SB 434: Marriage Equality
Overview Resources
- PA State Standard
- Federal Standard: Obergefell v. Hodges
- PA Bill Page: SB 434 – Pennsylvania General Assembly
- LegiScan Tracking: SB 434 – LegiScan Tracking Page
Big Concept Resources
- PA Passes House Bill to Remove ‘One Man, One Woman’ Marriage Definition from State Law
- Gay Marriage
- Same Sex Marriage at Risk in PA Without Obergefell
- https://www.pasenatorcomitta.com/pennsylvania-legislators-once-again-introduce-bill-to-affirm-marriage-equality-rights-within-state-law/
- https://www.pahouse.com/benham/InTheNews/NewsRelease/?id=139766
Pros
- ACLU: Whitewood v. Wolf
- Pew Research: An Argument for Same-Sex Marriage
- Gallup: Same-Sex Marriage Still Supported by Most in US
- Removes statutory language that is unenforceable under current constitutional law.
- Aligns Pennsylvania’s marriage statutes with existing federal legal precedent.
- Provides greater legal clarity by eliminating conflicting provisions from state law.
- https://payouthcongress.org/2024/07/03/marriageequalitybill/
Cons
- Bill to Gut Current Law
- Ten Arguments from Social Science Against Same-Sex Marriage
- Rep. Schemel’s Remarks
- Opponents may argue the existing language reflects a historical policy position that should remain in statute.
- Some contend marriage policy should be determined through constitutional amendment rather than statutory repeal.
- Critics may view the bill as unnecessary because same-sex marriage is already legal and recognized in Pennsylvania.
- https://greaterthancampaign.com/
