Nevada Republican Party Drops Opposition to Marriage Equality

The Nevada Republican Party has adopted a platform that does not include opposition to marriage equality or abortion, a move distinguishing it from the national party and Republicans in most other states.

Delegates to the state convention in Las Vegas approved the platform, essentially a statement of party principles, with a show of hands and little debate Saturday, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.

"The issue was how can we back out of people's personal lives," platform committee member Dave Hockaday told the Review-Journal. "We need to focus on issues where we can have an impact." The platform previously defined marriage as a union "between a man and a woman" and described the party as "pro-life."

"The state party has made it clear that they want a 'bigger tent' and has welcomed us into it," Ed Williams, president of Log Cabin Republicans of Nevada and a delegate at the convention, said in a press release.

Nevada's constitution has a provision banning same-sex marriage, and it is being challenged in court. A federal judge has upheld the law, but his ruling is on appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.