Last week in the North Carolina House two Democrats and two Republicans introduced a bill defining marriage as "the union of one man and one woman at one time." Similar language was introduced in the Senate in late February. If the Senate and House approve the language the issue will be referred to the voters of North Carolina in the 2012 November ballot.

Recent polling by the Civitas Institute found that a large majority (64 percent) of NC voters want the opportunity to vote on marriage, and that 65% favor a state constitutional amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman (poll conducted in December 2010).

The changes for passage of this amendment look good, as we wrote in back in early March:

In North Carolina, marriage advocates say odds look good for passing a marriage amendment.

North Carolina is the only southern state that has not added a marriage amendment to its constitution. Democratic leaders, with a lot of help from Tim Gill's money, claimed it was "unnecessary."