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NJ same sex marriage facing tough odds

by Susan Marie Kovalinsky | January 5, 2010 at 04:00 am

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So many Senate Democrats began to waver that after the bill cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee last month, supporters feared it would lose in the Senate and instead began focusing on winning in the Assembly. That has set up a standoff between leaders of the two houses, because many legislators who favor the bill do not want to go on record casting a controversial vote if they fear the measure will be defeated anyway.

New York Times

Gay rights advocates in New Jersey are rallying to make the case for a same sex marriage bill even while merely two weeks remain before the changing of the governors.

Yesterday advocates received another rebuff as the Judiciary committee and assembly did not debate the bill on the floor.

Governor Chris Christie who is an adversary of gay marriage will soon repleace the pro-gay marriage Jon Corzine. Christie has vowed to veto any gay marriage bill if it passes the Senate and Assembly.

Supporters of gay marriage have been lobbying frantically to win legislative approval of a marriage equality billbefore Jan. 19, when Gov. Jon S. Corzine, who has promised to enact it, is replaced by Gov.-elect Christopher J. Christie, who opposes it.
But advocates of the bill were rebuffed on Monday, when the Judiciary Committee in the General Assembly met and did not take up the proposal. That setback, which comes two weeks after the measure stalled in the State Senate, means that the legislation has now become bogged down in both chambers.

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YankeeJim

at 06:09 on January 5th, 2010

This is misplaced energy. Marriage is a religious thing. Civil partnerships is a public thing. If all rights afforded married couples are afforded to civil partners under the law, the issue is moot in law. The issue of gays wanting churches to change their interpretation of marriage is a privatre matter.