Indianapolis - Eli Lilly announced in a letter to Speaker of the Indiana House of Representatives B. Patrick Bauer its opposition to SJR-7, the so-called Marriage Amendment. Lilly, one of the state's largest employers, joins Cummins, WellPoint, and Dow AgroSciences in opposing the amendment due to concerns over employment policies and the ability to attract and retain talent.

In a separate letter to the Indiana General Assembly signed by 130 Indiana clergy, the Interfaith Coalition on Non-Discrimination has also expressed its opposition to the proposed amendment.

While many small businesses have expressed concern over economic impact, only recently have some of the state's largest employers come out in opposition to the amendment.

Tony Murphy, Lilly's Senior Vice President of Human Resources writes in his letter to Bauer "we oppose any legislation that might impair our ability to offer competitive employee benefits or negatively impact our recruitment and retention." Murphy also states that Lilly employees have expressed concern regarding the impact on the company's domestic partner benefits, which it has offered since 2004.

While the proposed Amendment's proponents have often used religious grounds as a basis for their support, the Interfaith Coalition on Non-Discrimination (ICON) refutes this notion. "People are growing tired of religious and political leaders using religious teaching to justify discrimination," said ICON Executive Director Dan Funk. "ICON is identifying, uniting and giving voice to people of faith who believe that religious-based bigotry has no place in the Indiana Constitution."

The proposed amendment is currently being considered by the Indiana House of Representative's Rules and Legislative Procedures Committee.

 Lilly Letter to Speaker Bauer (PDF)