After three hours of impassioned arguments on both sides, a Senate committee today advanced a bill allowing same sex marriage in New Jersey. The Star-Ledger reports that the 8-4 vote along party lines is the first significant development in gay rights since December 2006, when the state enacted civil unions that gay rights activists have said fail to give same sex couples the same rights as married heterosexual couples. Arguments in favour of gay marriage ranged from personal stories of discrimination to legal accounts of how the civil union law is flawed. Opponents' arguments included claims a change would diminish the meaning of marriage and quotes from the Bible condemning homosexuality and its supporters. Republican Sens. Christopher Bateman, Michael Doherty, Gerald Cardinale and Joseph Kyrillos who opposed the measure, said they like Governor Chris Christie's suggestion to put the issue to referendum. "There's nothing wrong with letting the voters weigh in on the issue," Bateman said.
Governor Christie made that suggestion earlier Tuesday at a town hall meeting in Bridgewater, calling for the Legislature to put on the fall ballot a voter referendum on whether to legalize same sex marriage. If successful, the referendum would amend the state Constitution and trump the current civil unions law. He urged all Republicans in the Legislature to put the matter to voters, but promised to veto the measure if it came to him in the form of a bill."I think this is not an issue that should rest solely in my hands, or the hands of the Senate President or the Speaker or the other 118 members of the Legislature," he said. "Let's let the people of New Jersey decide what is right for the state.""Let's make sure that political manoeuvring is not what judges this and let's make sure this is not someone just trying to have fun and create a campaign issue," he said, adding that, "The institution of marriage if too serious to be treated like a political football." In reaction to Christie's statement, State Senator Raymond Lesniak (D-Union), a sponsor of the bill, said same sex marriage is "a right that's guaranteed by the Constitution. It's up to us to implement it as legislators." Earlier this month, Democrats introduced the bill, S1, first in the new session to symbolize its importance. "I would hope the Legislature would be willing to trust the people the way I'm willing to trust the people," Christie said, reiterating his personal opposition to gay marriage. "I think it's the institution of marriage and it's bigger than just a word, it's hundreds of years of tradition both legally and societally and religiously and that's what I stand up in protecting." Still, Christie said he would be willing to consider strengthening the legal protections under the state's civil unions law, and when he heard hospitals were denying visitation to same sex partners, he called on Health Commissioner Mary O'Dowd to look into the matter.
0 comments:
Post a Comment