While the national leaders are debating on whether or not the U.S. Constitution should outlaw gay marriages, Louisiana and New Hampshire have approved a bill outlaw gay marriages in their state constitution.

Louisiana and New Hampshire have long recognized marriage as the union between a man and a woman.

Rep. Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, of Louisiana have filed House Bill 61 for the legislative session that begins March 29 to amend the Louisiana Constitution to define marriage as the union of a man and a woman .

Gov. Kathleen Blanco said Tuesday that although she doesn’t feel it was necessary to ban same-sex marriage under the constitution since it is already declared in state law, she said “marriage is a sacrament and we should respect the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman.”

New Hampshire committee voted 4-1 on Tuesday in favor of the bill which also defines marriage as the union of one man and one woman.

Before the approval of the bill, Sen. Jane O’Hean, R-Nahua, proposed an amendment to allow of civil unions between gay couples but it failed on a 3-2 vote.

Constitutional amendments require a two-thirds vote of the Legislature and then go directly to the people for a vote.