Topeka ? A proposal to establish “convenant marriage” in Kansas was stripped out of a bill on Wednesday by a majority on the Senate Judiciary Committee.

House Bill 2667 started out as a bill to re-organize various statutes. But when it was approved in the House, an amendment was added to provide for optional covenant marriages, which would make it more difficult to end a marriage by doing away with no-fault divorce.

Under a covenant marriage, couples could only divorce after undergoing marriage counseling and living apart for one year. A divorce could also be granted in cases of infidelity, domestic abuse, or if a spouse was convicted of a serious crime.

But legal groups and women’s rights groups said covenant marriages could increase the potential for domestic abuse.