Allowing same-sex couples to marry could provide a $39 million boost to Indiana's economy over the next three years, according to a recent report from the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law.
The study indicates that if same-sex marriage was legalized millions of dollars would be spent on wedding expenses, guest travel and tourism, and sales taxes.
Ball State University economics professor Michael Hicks says even though the study finds some 550 new jobs could be created as a result of the new industry, the conclusions are a conservative estimate.
"Like other studies that economists do, it's a very narrow estimate of what would happen if marriage is extended to same sex couples, how many people get married, what sort of economic activity would that expenditure generate," Hicks says.
A judge is expected to rule soon on a case challenging the state's ban on same-sex marriage. In a more narrow ruling, he ordered Indiana to recognize the out-of-state marriage of one couple because one of the women is terminally ill with ovarian cancer.
The UCLA study used self-reported census data from some 5,500 same-sex couples in Indiana living in a marriage-like arrangement to estimate the potential economic gains.