S. Carolina Republican: Constitutional ban on same-sex marriage would help 'propagation of our species'

Members of the South Carolina state Senate pushed a bill on Wednesday calling for a constitutional convention in hopes of overturning recent court rulings legalizing same-sex marriages, the Charleston Post and Courier reported.

"It has to do with the propagation of our species," said the bill's sponsor, state Sen. Larry Grooms (R). "It is what is in the best interest of our species. Now we're told through a federal judge that now we have to change that. It throws out of kilter all of our laws that have been based on the foundation of a man and a woman."

Grooms' bill, which was approved by the state Senate Judiciary Subcommittee, supported convening a convention to discuss a constitutional amendment banning marriage equality as well as requiring a balanced federal budget.

South Carolina's individual ban on same-sex marriages was overturned last year by a federal court. The Supreme Court is weighing a case brought by several states seeking to reverse similar rulings.

"Marriage is one man and one woman," subcommittee chair Shane Massey (R) said. "And I believe that's the way it's been in the history of mankind up until the last 15 years."

According to Article V of the Constitution, a convention can be convened if 34 states pass resolutions calling for such a meeting. Any amendments passed at the gathering would then have to be approved by 38 states.

According to the Post and Courier, the subcommittee's two Democratic members, state Senators Thomas McElveen and Ronnie Saab, supported calling for a convention to pass a balanced budget amendment but voted against Grooms' proposal.

Watch footage from the discussion, as posted online on Thursday, below.