Coming from another state senator, a move toward legally recognized civil unions for same-sex couples in South Carolina would be welcome news — a sign that the 2006 constitutional amendment prohibiting the state from acknowledging same-sex partnerships might eventually change, instead of forever consigning same-sex couples to unequal status in South Carolina.

But the proposal comes from Democratic Sen. Robert Ford of Charleston, a maverick in just about anyone's book. Previous proposals by Ford include: outlawing profanity; banning the wearing of sagging pants; and forcing municipalities to give workers a paid day off for Confederate Memorial Day.

To put it kindly, let's just say that in this case, the messenger undermines the message: Ford's proposal can't be taken seriously because of his track record of pushing for silly legislation.

That's unfortunate, because there's nothing funny about South Carolina discriminating against its gay citizens. In a state that wants economic development — and a capital city that touts its efforts to create a knowledge-based economy — there's nothing that says "don't invest here" like a constitutional amendment banning the state from recognizing domestic partnerships. From university and industrial recruitment efforts to tourism, the amendment only works against South Carolina's development efforts.

Here's to hoping that someone else takes up the cause.