Breaking: Vermont overrides governor's veto
Vermont has become the fourth state to legalize gay marriage -- and the first to do so with a legislature's vote The Huffington Post reports:
The Legislature voted Tuesday to override Gov. Jim Douglas' veto of a bill allowing gays and lesbians to marry. The vote was 23-5 to override in the state Senate and 100-49 to override in the House. Under Vermont law, two-thirds of each chamber had to vote for override.The vote came nine years after Vermont adopted its first-in-the-nation civil unions law.
It's now the fourth state to permit same-sex marriage. Massachusetts, Connecticut and Iowa are the others. Their approval of gay marriage came from the courts.
Integrity commends Vermont here.
UPDATE: Why Gay Marriage Matters from the Wall Street Journal.
UPDATE more: Washington DC Council votes to recognize other states' gay marriages.
And this from the Senate Majority Leader, Mike Gronstal, of Iowa:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2009/04/07/DI2009040702538.html?sid=ST2009040702401
QUOTE/
David Catania, a D.C. City Councilmember who voted for the amnendment to recognize gay marriage, and Brian Brown, executive director of the National Organization for Marriage, who opposes legislation allowing gay marriage, will be online together Tuesday, April 7, at 3:45 p.m. ET to discuss today's votes, their significance and national reaction.
{snip}
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David Catania: Hello. Today is an exciting day for marriage equality. I am pleased that the Council of the District of Columbia voted today to recognize lawful same-sex marriage performed in other jurisdictions. I am also thrilled with the fact that the Vermont legislature overrode the Governor's veto of their marriage equality legislation. This represents super majorities of the elected leadership in both jurisdictions.
_______________________
Brian Brown: This is Brian Brown, Executive Director of the National Organization for Marriage. The Vermont House voted by only a single vote to override Governor Douglas's veto, a single vote (it requires 2/3rds to override a veto). This vote clearly goes against the peoples understanding of marriage. Common sense and basic democratic norms dictate that such an important question should have gone directly to the voters of Vermont. Instead, the Legislature refused to allow the people a direct say in the future of our most important social institution--marriage.
In D.C. the City Council moved sneak same-sex marriage into the district by recognizing same-sex unions from other jurisdictions. It's not likely that legally the District can even do this given DOMA.
Look forward to discussing more...
/UNQUOTE
Posted by John B. Chilton![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.episcopalcafe.com/lead/nav-commenters.gif)
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April 7, 2009 3:58 PM
DOMA will ultimately be declared unconstitutional because it violates the 14th Amendment protection of equal access to the law. Marriage is as much a legal contract as it is anything else and where else in contract law is sexual orientation either a requirement to or disqualifier from entering into a legally binding contract.
--Richard Warren
Posted by Richard III![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.episcopalcafe.com/lead/nav-commenters.gif)
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April 7, 2009 5:32 PM