Senate President Pro Tem David Long just announced two new committee chairmanships.  Luke Kenley takes over the Appropriations Committee post vacated by the retirement of Bob Meeks.

Brandt Hershman gets Kenley’s old post at Tax and Fiscal Policy.

That puts Kenley in charge of the new state budget.

Sen. Brandt Hershman will file SJR 7, the proposed constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, in the 2008 General Assembly but it may not get a hearing. 

Hershman say he plans to ask the Indiana House to take up the matter first and House Speaker Pat Bauer indicated months ago that he things the House has higher priorities.  Bauer committed to a vote last year but not this year.

Hershman got the resolution through the state Senate last year only to see it die in the House and has no appetite to repeat the experience.

“I’ve been through it three times,” said Hershman, who also won previous approval in the Senate.

Defeat this year would mean that proponents of the ban will have to start from scratch in the process that can take five years.