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Gay marriage adovcacy in NJ vow to take fight to high court

by Susan Marie Kovalinsky | January 8, 2010 at 11:59 am

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After last night's defeat of a state marriage equality bill by the New Jersey Senate, gay advocacy groups have vowed to take the fight to the courts.

Just after the bill was defeated 20-14 on Thursday, an announcement was made by a gay advocacy group that the New Jersey's high court would be contacted.

After New Jersey's 2006 Supreme Court ruling that mandated that state provisions must equal marriage for committed gay couples, the legislature legalized civil unions.

Gay Marriage - deemed "Marriage Equality" by civil rights ideologues - has suffered a series of recent setbacks on the national level. In November, Maine voters repealed legalized gay marriage with Question One, the referendum to the Governor's legislation. In December, the state Senate in New York defeated a similar law by a wide margin.

In California, a federal trial will begin next week on that state's gay marriage ban, Proposition 8, which will be YouTubed for the public.

Only five states – Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont – recognize gay marriage.
Gay rights advocates had pushed hard to get the New Jersey measure passed before Jan. 19, when Republican Chris Christie becomes governor. Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine had promised to sign the bill if approved by the Legislature, but Christie said he would veto it.

On Tuesday, Sen. President Richard Codey agreed to put the bill to a vote, leaving little mystery about its fate. Only one Republican, Sen. Bill Baroni, of Hamilton, was among the 14 senators who voted for the bill. The measure needed 21 votes to pass.

"We should not be telling one couple you can be married and another couple you can be civil unionized," Baroni said. "We are better than that. History is watching us now. She is asking us whether we'll side with equality and right – or for discrimination."

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stejeb

at 12:19 on January 8th, 2010

I don't envy you smk, this is one of the benefits(?) of living in a small land, just one government, just one vote, just one law that covers that land.

It seems to me to be a bit of a nightmare to get legislation passed across the pond from me, have I got it wrong?......this is how it appears: A bill is put through and voted on. No matter what the outcome of the vote, individual states then amend and alter it to suit?

Susan Marie Kovalinsky

at 13:30 on January 8th, 2010

Yes, we are the united states of America, but the States' Rights movement has been growing apace, even to the point of talk of secession from the Union. We are not all that unified, the consensus has been lost. It is indeed a nightmare of some formidable proportions! You see well, sir!