By Yael T. Abouhalkah, Kansas City Star Editorial Page columnist

California residents can't seem to get enough of the gay marriage issue. Prediction: Coming soon to the nation's largest state -- a ban on such unions.

The state Supreme Court on Wednesday moved to allow a public vote this fall on whether to allow same-sex marriage.

Voters likely will approve a ban as they did earlier this decade. So what's wrong with this picture?

In Missouri, we already have our voter-approved prohibition of same-sex marriage. It's a stupid law.

Let's face it: Heterosexual marriages would not be threatened if gay people were allowed to wed.

The economic impact on the state and cities would be nil.

So why the hang-up? It's partly tied to religious prohibitions.

And to the pure "yuck" factor that -- like it or not -- drives the feelings of a lot of people on an issue such as this one.

This November tens of millions of Californians will be deciding whether their state will allow gay marriages in the future.

Even in liberal California, this issue is probably a loser for gay people.