SHOCK: New Hampshire lawmakers reject gay-marriage bill
New Hampshire lawmakers unexpectedly rejected a bill on Wednesday that would have made the state the sixth in the United States to authorize gay marriage.
The state’s Democrat-controlled House of Representatives voted down the bill in a 188-186 vote, hours after its Senate approved the legislation 14-10 along party lines. An earlier version of the bill passed the lower chamber on March 26.
The legislature had been asked to approve language that would give legal protections, including the right to decline to marry same-sex couples, to clergy and others affiliated with religious organizations.
That wording was added by Governor John Lynch, a Democrat who promised to sign the bill if those changes were made.
The House vote against the governor’s amendment means the bill will be sent to a committee that will try to resolve the differences between the two chambers. It remains unclear how the governor would respond to any changes to his wording.
See New Hampshire lawmakers reject gay-marriage bill Reuters * Tags = gay men gay news lesbian news transgender bisexual
| Published by |
 |
Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/05/chock-new-ham…
NH Senate Works to Add Amendment to Gay Marriage Bill
The New Hampshire Senate will hold another hearing today to try and tackle a crucial amendment to the same-sex marriage bill. It’s one Governor John Lynch says must be adopted in order for him to sign it.
Currently the bill allows churches to decide whether they will conduct religious marriages for gay couples.
Last week, Gov. Lynch said he won’t sign the bill without clearer language to better protect churches and their employees against lawsuits if their beliefs prevent them from marrying gay couples.
That new language will be added to an unrelated bill which will come to a vote in the Senate and House on Wednesday.
See
* Tags = gay men gay news lesbian news transgender bisexual
| Published by |
|
Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/05/nh-senate-wor…
NH gov. will sign marriage bill, if…
John Lynch will sign a same-sex marriage bill if it contains exemptions for religious organizations.
NH lawmakers to amend gay marriage bill
(Concord, New Hampshire) The New Hampshire Senate has begun work on an amendment to marriage equality legislation to make it more acceptable to Gov. John Lynch.
The original bill passed the legislature earlier this month, but last week, the governor said he would refuse to sign it unless there was clearer …
Exemption for Religious Foes Of Gay Marriage Debated
As a growing number of states legalize same-sex marriage, there is growing attention on exemptions for religious institutions and individuals who find the concept morally objectionable and religiously untenable. This week, New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch (D) said he would sign legislation to make his state the sixth to legalize gay marriage if the legislature ensured religious protections.
Vermont and Connecticut have enacted laws that exempt clergy from performing same-sex marriages and give religious groups the right to refuse their facilities for same-sex marriage celebrations and allow them to refuse to provide insurance benefits to same-sex partners.
With those exemptions, said George Washington University constitutional law professor Ira Lupu on the legal blog Concurring Opinions, “religious conservatives and secular progressives now have the opportunity to reach political bargains.”
See Exemption for Religious Foes Of Gay Marriage Debated Washington Post * Tags = gay men gay news lesbian news transgender bisexual
| Published by |
|
Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/05/exemption-for…
NH gov will sign gay marriage bill if it’s changed
(Concord) New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch says he will sign a bill to make his state the sixth to legalize gay marriage, but only if it strengthens protections for churches opposed to gay marriage.
The bill has been passed by the Legislature, but hasn’t yet reached Lynch’s desk.
It would allow churches …
Same-sex marriage is all up to Gov. Lynch in New Hampshire
Gov. John Lynch is facing “a vote of conscience” on whether to allow gay marriage in New Hampshire.
That’s the assessment of Andy Smith, director of the University of New Hampshire Survey Center, who said he does not believe the popular governor will be hurt politically no matter what his decision.
The House passed the gay marriage bill Wednesday, paving the way for it to land on Lynch’s desk. He has three choices facing him: He can veto the bill, sign it or allow it to become law without his signature.
He has stated publicly he believes the state’s civil union law passed in 2007 provides all the legality needed for gay couples and he doesn’t personally support gay marriage. He has also said he has not made up his mind as governor how he will come down on the issue.
No matter what his decision, said Smith, he’ll be just fine.
“He’s not in a position where it matters to him electorally. He’s got a 70-percent approval rating. He can say whatever. He’s got his own independent political machine that’s outside the Democratic party,” he said. “If he signs it, the Republicans will gripe, but they have never been able to field a credible candidate against him. If he vetoes it, the Democrats are still going to vote for him (in 2010).”
Smith said the votes in the House and the Senate — 178-167 and 13-11, respectively — are not dissimilar to state residents’ feeling on the issue. In the most recent poll conducted by the center, 55 percent favored gay marriage and 39 opposed it. The latter number has trended down slightly since the center started polling several years ago, he said. Initially, 42 percent were in opposition. See Same-sex marriage is all up to lynch
Seacoastonline.com * Tags = gay men gay news lesbian news transgender bisexual
| Published by |
|
Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/05/same-sex-marr…
‘This Is a Question of Fairness’ – NY Times Editorial
It is by no means a fast and easy path, but the cause of same-sex marriage is moving forward — proof that justice can triumph over wedge politics and prejudice. It happened this week in Maine and New Hampshire, where both states’ legislatures voted to legalize same-sex marriage and promptly put the final say to their governors.
In New Hampshire, Gov. John Lynch — who previously defined marriage as strictly between a man and a woman — promised his “best decision” after consulting lawmakers and constituents. Mr. Lynch would be wise also to consult his neighbor in Maine, Gov. John Baldacci, who signed his state’s same-sex marriage bill. He previously had opposed the idea, with the familiar hedge of supporting the half-step of civil unions.
Mr. Baldacci described his change of heart — and what we hope is the changing sentiment of many other American politicians. “I have come to believe that this is a question of fairness and of equal protection under the law, and that a civil union is not equal to civil marriage,” he said. Precisely.
Maine was the fifth state to legalize same-sex marriage. We urge Mr. Lynch to make New Hampshire the sixth. Similar proposals are pending in other states, with a major debate expected in the New York Legislature.
This week, the City Council of the District of Columbia took a preliminary step, voting 12 to 1, to recognize marriages between gay people certified in other states. A fuller debate is anticipated on a proposal to legalize same-sex unions. Unfortunately, there already are calls for Congress to once more tread on home rule and block this progress in the nation’s capital.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is right to caution against such grandstanding. Governor Baldacci heard the people speak. Congress should listen. See ‘This Is a Question of Fairness’
New York Times* Tags = gay men gay news lesbian news transgender bisexual
| Published by |
|
Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/05/this-is-quest…
Questions Remain Over Same-Sex Marriage Bill
CONCORD, N.H. — A day after the New Hampshire House passed a bill approving same-sex marriage in the state, questions remain about the impact the law would have on the Granite State.
Extended Video: Gov. Lynch On Gay Marriage Bill Decision
Once the bill reaches Gov. John Lynch’s desk, he has five days to decide what to do with it. Lynch hasn’t given an indication what his plans are.
State Rep. Jim Splaine, D-Portsmouth, the author of both the civil union law and the same-sex marriage bill, conceded that currently there is little difference between the two in the eyes of the federal government.
“Any state which has same-gendered couples under civil unions cannot qualify for the 1,100 or so benefits of federal law,” Splaine said.
Those benefits range from survivor benefits to joint tax filings. But Splaine said he hopes that if the federal government considers the recognition of marriage between same-sex couples, New Hampshire will have made an important preemptive move.
“Very much so, and I think by adopting civil marriages and religious marriages, it encourages the federal government to make that move,” Splaine said.
But there is still considerable concern for some regarding the language of the bill. Under the religious marriage section, it protects churches and clergy members who choose not to perform the ceremony. See Questions Remain Over Same-Sex Marriage Bill
WMUR * Tags = gay men gay news lesbian news transgender bisexual
| Published by |
|
Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/05/questions-rem…
NH gov. tests political wind on gay marriage
(Concord, New Hampshire) The legalization of gay marriage in New Hampshire hinges on the next move of Gov. John Lynch, who remains uncommitted but has said he believes the word “marriage” should be reserved for the union of a man and a woman.
“I’m going to talk to legislators and I’m …
