One of them, establishing marriage for heterosexual couples and civil unions for same-sex couples, might have a better chance of passing because it was being put forward by an ally of the House speaker, Thomas M. Finneran, who had sponsored the first amendment on Wednesday and had opposed the compromise amendment, which failed 104 to 94.

On the other hand, because the amendment that would only establish marriage as a heterosexual union failed by just two votes, 100 to 98, a new effort at a similar amendment might have a shot at success.
