WA Senate approves bill to legalize gay marriage

[æonpax]

(AP) OLYMPIA, Wash. — The Washington state Senate has passed a bill to legalize same-sex marriage, bringing the state a step closer to becoming the seventh to allow lesbian and gay couples to wed. But the threat of a ballot challenge looms.

The packed public galleries burst into applause as the Senate passed the measure on a 28-21 vote Wednesday night after nearly an hour and a half of debate. Four Republicans crossed party lines and voted with majority Democrats for the measure. Three Democrats voted against it.

The measure now heads to the House, which is expected to approve it and could take action on it as early as next week. Gov. Chris Gregoire supports the measure and has said she will sign it into law, though opponents have promised to challenge it at the ballot with a referendum. ~ http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505245_162-57370288/wa-senate-approves-bill-to-legalize-gay-marriage/

Same-sex marriage is legal in New York, Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and the District of Columbia.

Lawmakers in New Jersey and Maryland are expected to debate gay marriage this year, and Maine could see a gay marriage proposal on the November ballot.

Proposed amendments for constitutional bans on gay marriage will be on the ballots in North Carolina on May 8 and in Minnesota on Nov. 6.

38 states is the magical number here.


http://i.imgur.com/ZfkZu.gif

[Caaveman]

It's a slow, long, winding, up hill road, but this may just be another inch of it paved if it makes it all the way in to law.

[æonpax]

It's a slow, long, winding, up hill road, but this may just be another inch of it paved if it makes it all the way in to law.

Yes. I agree. Gay marriage is not an issue I want this disastrous and right slanted Supreme Court to handle. One alternative to this is a Convention to propose amendments to the United States Constitution (or Article V Convention), in this case, the legal right for all to marry.

"According to Article V, Congress must call for an amendment-proposing convention, “on the application of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States”, and therefore 34 state legislatures would have to submit applications. Once an Article V convention has proposed amendments, then each of those amendments would have to be ratified by three-fourths of the states (ex: 38 states) in order to become part of the US Constitution."

[coyotedude]

I was actually present in the state capitol watching the Senate debate take place on TVW (the state government network). It was fun watching history take place.

It's still not a done deal, however. The bill should sail through the House of Representatives (assuming no amendments hang) and the Governor has committed to signing the legislation. But in Washington state, voters can gather signatures to force a public vote on most laws that pass the legislature. Opponents have until June 6 to gather a little more than 120,000 signatures statewide to force a public vote on marriage equality. So it's likely that the issue won't truly be decided until the November general election.

Peace

[wanderingrichard]

I actually withdrew my support for my local State Rep. because he is against this. I was supporting him for a while because of his efforts to bring the state into a balanced and responsible budget, but when he came out in one of his newsletters as being very opposed to this, i sent him a letter telling how wrong i felt he was, unsubscribed from his newsletter and stopped all further support.

Honestly i can't wait until this passes completely. I know so many couples who will jump on this. Discrimination against people because of who they love, and not being able to "legally" have all the rights and privileges that het couples have is just totally against human nature.

What i hope not to see is the required signatures needed for repealing this suddenly appearing from out of nowhere, and then having to start all over to make it a truism.

[Cherokee_Mountaincat]

I know at the next Gay Pride event that we have here in Olympia there will be folks walking around with petitions on this for folks to sign, and I am sure they will allow us vendors to have them at our booths as well...:}
Cat

[*pan*]

it's just government involvement in something they have no business getting involved in. in a free country 2 adults should be able to do what they wish to do. the gay marriage issue is just another religious driven political move. what ever happened to the seperation of church and state. if they were seperate, like the law says they must be, then this would not even be an issue. hard headed religious driven politicians are always ready to pass laws motivated by their religious beliefs and that is illegal. because it treads on the liberties of americans. when will people wise up and see this and stop asking for laws to be passed, and when will people start holding the people wanting them accountable. everyone shouts and jumps for joy when these laws are over turned but the fact is they should not have existed to begin with.