Justice: Gay Marriage Shouldn't Be In Ohio Constitution

A state Supreme Court justice says language on gay marriage, pro or con, doesn't belong in the Ohio Constitution. Justice Paul Pfeifer suggests Ohioans should repeal the state's 2004 constitutional ban on gay marriage and leave the issue to state lawmakers to decide. Pfeifer, a moderate Republican, made his comments Thursday before a panel studying constitutional updates. In a separate interview with The Columbus Dispatch, Pfeifer disclosed that he has a daughter who's lesbian and that she and her partner have two children. The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld gay-marriage bans in Ohio and three other states last week, with appeals court judge Jeffrey Sutton arguing the matter is for the legislature, not the courts. Pfeifer says he agrees with Sutton. Pfeifer said other issues, such as language on livestock-care standards and the location of casinos, also do not belong in the Constitution.