General

Bittersweet news for same-sex marriage in New Jersey

Legislators in New Jersey voted in favour of legalizing same-sex marriage Thursday, but no one is celebrating just yet. The state’s Republican governor, Chris Christie, is expected to veto the bill. The bill doesn’t have the two-third majority votes necessary to override a veto in the New Jersey Assembly.

There is no reason to believe Christie will change his mind, as he is among the roster of potential Republican vice-presidential nominees for this year’s presidential election, and a reversal could hamper his credibility among the party’s social conservative base. Christie supports Mitt Romney, who has declined to comment on the vote.

Same-sex marriage is currently legal in New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Iowa. On Monday, Feb. 13, Washington state governor Christine Gregoire signed a bill legalizing the unions there into law. It should come into effect in June.

 

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