After nearly four hours of testimony regarding Indiana’s controversial proposal to amend Indiana’s constitution and a companion bill that defines marriage, the House Judiciary Committee delayed a vote on the matter.

House Joint Resolution 3 would amend Indiana’s constitution to permanently ban any and all protections for same-sex couples and their families. The proposed amendment calls for a ban on gay marriage or anything “similar” to it. Supporters and opponents disagree on whether the proposal, known as HJR-3 would also bar benefits for same-sex couples.

Because the testimonies ran over on time, the meeting adjourned without the vote, which would have passed the amendment to the full House of Representatives for further consideration. House Judiciary Commitee Chairman Gregory Steuerwald said the committee would not vote Monday so that the committee would have time to consider the testimonies given. He did not say when the committee would reconvene.

Executives with Eli Lilly and Co. and Cummins Inc. spoke of their trouble attracting talent to the state and expressed concerns about the passage of the proposal that they claim would hurt talent recruitment and retention.

“Top talent might choose to go to other states that may be deemed more tolerant, and these states are also home to our largest competitors,” said Steve Fry, Eli Lilly during the testimonies.

The bill was authored by State Rep. Eric Turner, R-Cicero. Among the three co-authors are Tim Wesco, a Republican from Osceola, and State Rep. Wes Culver, a Goshen Republican. State Rep. Rhonda Rhoads, R-Corydon, is the third co-author.