Hodgson: Senate In 'Limbo' Until Vote On Same Sex Marriage

One month into the General Assembly's 2013 session, things haven't changed very much from this point two years ago, according to Sen. Dawson Hodgson (R-Dist. 35). 

"We’re about a month in, we’ve only had one or two calendars since inauguration day," Hodgson said, referring to days in which there's formal action on a bill. "This is the time of year when we show up and there’s no bill pending, there’s no votes ... on state business."

Hodgson said inaction on same-sex marriage is one reason for the Senate's seeming "lack of urgency."

"Whether you support same sex marriage or oppose it … these are deeply held motiviations and they are profound on both sides. For my colleagues who are deeply engaged on this issue on both sides, they deserve to see if it put to a vote," said Hodgson.

"If it passes, it passes. If it fails, it fails. And then we can truly address the economy," he said. "Right now everything seems like it’s in limbo."

Hodgson said he was confident about Senate bill S-154, which he filed last week. It calls for an audio or video recording of all committee hearings, debates and votes to be placed on the legislative website for three years.

"Citizens deserve to know how their laws are being made, and it is often difficult for them to accommodate their work schedules to the General Assembly's unique calendar patterns," he said in a press release. "Posting these deliberations online allows our constituents to see firsthand what forces are shaping legislation."

The bill has 21 co-sponsors, a majority of the Senate and has been referred to the Committee on Special Legislation.