Post by Paddy by Grace on Apr 30, 2009 18:09:04 GMT -7
www.cbn.com/cbnnews/592561.aspx
CBNNews.com - Another vote paves the way for gay marriage in New Hampshire.
State senators approved a bill Wednesday, following a House vote in support of same-sex marriage. If the bill becomes law, New Hampshire would become the fifth state to legalize gay marriage.
The New Hampshire vote is clearly a defeat for traditional marriage. Some conservatives in the state are blaming out-of-state money from gay activists, such as millionaire Tim Gill.
You have a lot of out-of-state money coming in from the human rights campaign and the Gill action pac," said Cornerstone Policy Research's Kevin Smith. "There was a lot of arm-twisting going on."
Civil and Religious Wedding Ceremonies
There is some good news for churches in all this. The Senate's bill makes a distinction between civil and religious wedding ceremonies.
This would allow churches to decide whether they want to marry gay couples. The bill goes to a conference committee and then it will be up to the governor to make the decision.
"If the governor does sign the bill or if he lets it become law, in New Hampshire the governor doesn't have to sign the bill and if he doesn't it automatically becomes law," Smith explained. "So the only thing he can do to stop this is to veto it and if one of those two scenarios happens, we'll certainly be pushing hard to get a constitutional amendment on the ballot to let the people vote on this issue once and for all."
In New Hampshire, both sides of the gay marriage debate have released polls showing the majority supports their position.
CBNNews.com - Another vote paves the way for gay marriage in New Hampshire.
State senators approved a bill Wednesday, following a House vote in support of same-sex marriage. If the bill becomes law, New Hampshire would become the fifth state to legalize gay marriage.
The New Hampshire vote is clearly a defeat for traditional marriage. Some conservatives in the state are blaming out-of-state money from gay activists, such as millionaire Tim Gill.
You have a lot of out-of-state money coming in from the human rights campaign and the Gill action pac," said Cornerstone Policy Research's Kevin Smith. "There was a lot of arm-twisting going on."
Civil and Religious Wedding Ceremonies
There is some good news for churches in all this. The Senate's bill makes a distinction between civil and religious wedding ceremonies.
This would allow churches to decide whether they want to marry gay couples. The bill goes to a conference committee and then it will be up to the governor to make the decision.
"If the governor does sign the bill or if he lets it become law, in New Hampshire the governor doesn't have to sign the bill and if he doesn't it automatically becomes law," Smith explained. "So the only thing he can do to stop this is to veto it and if one of those two scenarios happens, we'll certainly be pushing hard to get a constitutional amendment on the ballot to let the people vote on this issue once and for all."
In New Hampshire, both sides of the gay marriage debate have released polls showing the majority supports their position.