That Was Fast! North Carolina Anti-Marriage Amendment Speeds Through House

North Carolina lawmakers were expected today to take up a proposed state constitutional amendment to ban marriage equality, and not only did they start debate, the amendment already passed through committee and was approved on the House floor.

The House passed the amendment today on a 75-42 vote, setting up the Senate to consider it on Tuesday. If the Senate approves, the bill skips the governor's desk entirely because it's a ballot initiative.

Leaders of both branches of the Republican-controlled state legislature have vocally supported the proposed amendment, which would allow voters to decide in 2012 whether to amend the state constitution to define marriage as only the union between one man and one woman (state law already bans recognition of same-sex marriages). This morning, LGBT rights advocates in the state say Republicans ushered the bill through the House Rules Committee in less than an hour despite objections from Democrats. After about three hours of debate on the House floor, it then passed there as well.

Earlier this morning, the state LGBT rights group Equality North Carolina said it delivered nearly 50,000 signed postcards from constituents to state legislators with one powerful message: "Keep Discrimination out of NC."

"This overwhelming number of constituent messages shows that North Carolinians are opposed to the distracting and divisive antigay constitutional amendment," said Equality North Carolina executive director Alex Miller.

The organization also has planned a Tuesday marriage equality rally near the General Assembly Legislative Building in Raleigh (click here for details on the event). About 250 clergy and faith leaders in the state have spoken out against the proposed amendment. (Read the AP story here.)

- Lucas Grindley and Andrew Harmon contributed to this report.