Topeka ? Legislative leaders today decided to delay House action this week on a proposed constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages and civil unions.

The measure, which gained Senate approval last week, will go to a House committee next week for hearings, according to state Rep. John Edmonds, R-Great Bend, and chairman of the House Federal and State Affairs Committee.

“We are going to examine this and exercise due diligence on it,” Edmonds said.

After its approval in the Senate last week, House Speaker Doug Mays, R-Topeka, said he probably would have the measure voted on by the House this week.

But Edmonds said he urged the speaker to have hearings on the proposal.

Edmonds said he hoped to get the proposal out of his committee by Feb. 1, which if approved by two-thirds of the House shortly after that could place the issue before voters on April 5.

For more on this story, pick up a copy of Wednesday’s Journal-World.