Thursday, May 21, 2009

Totally Unexpected: Gay Marriage Loses in NH   [Maggie Gallagher]

New Hampshire is one of the state legislatures that Tim Gill money helped flip for the Democrats. They expected to pass a gay-marriage bill there today. But something totally unexpected just happened. Don't take my word for it — this is how The New Civil Rights Movement described it:  

New Hampshire Votes 188-186 Against Gay Marriage

 

New Hampshire, a state in which 55% of its electorate favors gay marriage, and 39% of its electorate opposes gay marriage, just defeated its gay marriage bill after passing it two weeks ago. “Huh?” you say? Right.

 

On May 6, the House and Senate completed voting on the gay marriage bill. Many had expected it to be sent to the Governor that same day, just as Vermont did. But the bill never reached the Governor. Instead, two weeks after the bill was passed, the last step before gay marriage would be legal in New Hampshire, the bill hung out in the 400-member State Legislature. Even the local newspaper reported it had been sent to the Governor’s office. Finally, on May 14, Governor John Lynch announced he would sign the bill if the Legislature included specific language he had drafted, to add further protections for religious institutions. Even gay rights groups did not object, and we all breathed a sigh of relief.

 

Today, by a 14-10 vote, the New Hampshire Senate approved the changes and he bill went to the House. Most people went out for coffee. Three approvals by the Senate, two by the House, a report that the Legislature would easily pass it, a promise by the Governor that he would sign the bill, let’s have a latte. Well guess what? We just lost the House. By two damn votes: 188-186. . .

05/21 12:03 AMShare