UPDATE: Lynch signs NH marriage bill

Gov. John Lynch has signed the New Hampshire equal marriage bill, making New Hampshire the sixth state to have gay marriage. The law will take effect January 1, 2010.

The Senate passed the equal marriage compromise bill this morning; this afternoon, the House passed the bill 198-176.

“With Gov. Lynch signing legislation …

Gay marriage closer in NH

(Concord, N.H.) The New Hampshire State Senate voted today 14-10 to pass the equal marriage compromise bill – but locals say that the House is a harder sell.

The compromise bill includes a provision that allows any religious institution to decide who they will marry.

“The changes augment, buttress and bolster the …

Marriage Equality and Religious Freedom Win in Key Statehouse Vote In New Hampshire

Committee of Conference votes to advance HB73

CONCORD Today the house and senate committee of conference in the New Hampshire legislature voted in favor of a compromise bill that will advance the freedom to marry while ensuring religious liberties.

HB73 is a bill that will uphold the Constitutional right to freedom of religion, while complimenting previously passed bills that grant marriage equality to same-sex couples. Today’s committee of conference decision treats gay and lesbian people as well as people of faith with dignity and respect. The conference committee report on HB73 is expected to be voted on by the full legislature on June 3rd.

“We remain confident that marriage equality will become law this year, and HB 73 is an important final step in that effort,” said Mo Baxley the Executive Director of New Hampshire Freedom to Marry. “Individual equality and religious freedom are New Hampshire values. We expect the House and Senate to now vote for HB 73 as reported out by the committee of conference. This is a very positive step and we remain optimistic that we will see legal protections for thousands of gay and lesbian couples signed into law by the Governor.”

The freedom to marry for gay couples, partnered with religious protections in HB73 is supported by Governor Lynch, the State Senate, the committee of conference, and the majority of New Hampshire residents.

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The New Hampshire Freedom to Marry Coalition was founded in January 2001 and is New Hampshire’s Statewide LGBT education and advocacy organization. http://nhftm.org/

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Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/05/marriage-equa…

Gay Marriage Bill Stalls In New Hampshire

The New Hampshire House of Representatives, by a 188-186 vote, put the brakes on gay marriage, voting down legislation that would have permitted gay couples to marry while protecting the religious liberties of clergy.

The state’s governor, threatening a veto if the gay marriage legislation did not contain such protections, urged lawmakers to add an amendment to the legislation. The state’s Senate approved of the language, but the House rejected it.

The House, however, voted 207-168 to ask the Senate to negotiate a compromise.

At this point, lawmakers will meet to hash out some of the differences in the bill. A vote on the “compromise” bill could come as early as June 3.

“I think the headline is the House pushes the pause button, which is something very different than a reverse button,” openly gay Episcopal bishop Gene Robinson told New Hampshire television station WMUR.

Supporters of gay marriage argued the vote, while a setback, is not the end of the road for gay marriage in New Hampshire. They point to a strong 173-202 vote that rejected a measure that would kill the gay marriage bill.

Rather, New Hampshire lawmakers, particularly state Rep. Steve Vaillancourt, a gay Republican from Manchester, said Democrat Gov. John Lynch was bullying lawmakers into passing a new bill. Prior to Wednesday’s vote, the New Hampshire Legislature had passed a bill legalizing gay marriage. See

Gay Marriage Bill Stalls In New Hampshire

Philadelphia Bulletin