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CHARLOTTE (MCT) — North Carolina Chamber of Commerce leaders aren't saying much about if or how a possible legislative push to ban same-sex marriage would affect the state's business climate.

House GOP leaders want to consider a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage when lawmakers return to session Sept. 12. A proposed constitutional amendment must be decided by voters. To get on next year's ballot, as GOP leaders want, a proposed amendment would need three-fifths majorities of the House and Senate.

Critics have said such bans make for bad business, with companies discouraged from relocating or expanding in places seen as unfriendly to gays and lesbians.

In New York, the business community's support was seen as pivotal to that state's passing a law in June allowing same-sex marriage. But the matter wasn't put to voters. The Legislature narrowly approved it, and Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed it into law.

"We haven't heard a lot from our members on this issue — this isn't one of their big concerns," said Erica Baldwin, director of marketing for the N.C. Chamber of Commerce. "We focused on jobs and jobs creation this session, things to make our state more competitive."

If it does become a debate, Baldwin said, the chamber would take direction from its membership on its position. The N.C. Chamber also hasn't seen any "quantitative studies" on whether the presence or absence of same-sex marriage bans affects business, Baldwin said. "We haven't seen any economic data making the case for business."

Natalie Dick, director of media relations for the Charlotte Chamber, said chamber President Bob Morgan won't comment at this point.

And at the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce, "we have not taken a position on this and as a result are not in a position to speculate on the issue," Vernessa Roberts, vice president of communications, said via email.

Thirty states have constitutional amendments banning same-sex marriage. North Carolina is one of 37 states with active laws defining marriage as between a man and woman.