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NJ House Passes Same-Sex Marriage Bill, Veto Likely

By Jeralyn, Section Legislation
Posted on Thu Feb 16, 2012 at 06:53:51 PM EST
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The New Jersey Assembly has passed a bill allowing same-sex marriage. The Senate approved the bill last week, so it now goes to Governor Chris Christie, who has said he will veto it.

Both chambers lack the two-thirds majority needed to override a veto by Christie blocking gay marriage, a hot-button social issue that is gaining traction in the 2012 U.S. presidential election campaign.

Same sex marriage is legal in six states: New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Iowa. Washington's governor signed a bill authorizing it on Monday, but it is not yet in effect and may face a voter initiative challenge.

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    NJ House Passes Same-Sex Marriage Bill, Veto Likely | 20 comments (20 topical)

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    Elections have consequences (5.00 / 1) (#1)
    by andgarden on Thu Feb 16, 2012 at 07:25:23 PM EST
    And the 2009 election was a catastrophe for New Jersey.

    Illinois and (especially) Maryland look promising in the near future.

    What I find (5.00 / 0) (#13)
    by NYShooter on Thu Feb 16, 2012 at 11:27:49 PM EST
    To be particularly troubling, if not ironic, is the almost total objection to this bill by the black clergy in NJ.

    If ever there was an issue, and a  time, for moral leadership from the clergy, and the President, this is the issue, and now is the time.

    Yeah, I know....

    Moral leadership from the clergy? (5.00 / 0) (#14)
    by Mr Natural on Thu Feb 16, 2012 at 11:38:47 PM EST
    Their job is to propagate the status quo, to keep the taxpayers taxed, and the guiltless guilty.

    Parent
    Same thing happened in Cali (5.00 / 0) (#16)
    by gyrfalcon on Fri Feb 17, 2012 at 01:46:06 AM EST
    with Prop 8.  And listen sometime to a gay black man like CNN's Don Lemon about the AA community's inability to deal with homosexuality.


    Parent
    veto by Christie (1.00 / 1) (#11)
    by diogenes on Thu Feb 16, 2012 at 10:18:52 PM EST
    I thought that Governor Christie said that he would be delighted to abide by the results of a referendum on the issue, whichever way it went.  

    So what? (none / 0) (#22)
    by Yman on Fri Feb 17, 2012 at 10:13:05 AM EST
    Should Jim Crow laws have been put to a referendum?  Maybe miscegenation laws preventing interracial marriage?  Segregated schools?

    Christie's just trying to make it look like he's not caving to the bigots.

    Parent

    equality will (none / 0) (#2)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu Feb 16, 2012 at 07:30:48 PM EST
    be sacrificed on the alter of Christies political ambition.

    Wanna know a secret? (5.00 / 1) (#3)
    by andgarden on Thu Feb 16, 2012 at 07:33:56 PM EST
    The Dems want him to veto too. If he signs on the dotted line, they lose money and enthusiasm in 2013.

    Parent
    there is a (5.00 / 1) (#4)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu Feb 16, 2012 at 07:35:51 PM EST
    "strange bedfellows" joke in there someplace but it seems inappropriate

    Parent
    It may just be wishful thinking (none / 0) (#5)
    by shoephone on Thu Feb 16, 2012 at 07:46:43 PM EST
    but I believe the initiative in Washington State will fail. Even a Republican legislator from Eastern WA (GOP country) gave a heartfelt speech in support of marriage equality, and voted to help pass the bill.

    Chris Christie is--typically--acting like a bully. I hope the people of New Jersey teach him a political lesson on this one.

    Christy is a pig (none / 0) (#6)
    by TeresaInPa on Thu Feb 16, 2012 at 08:06:32 PM EST
    he made a disgusting statement to a woman who was heckling him, or perhaps she was just asking him a question, I don't know.  But his response was a suggestion that she would be likely "going down" on some one that night..... He refereed to her as "honey or sweetie"  I forget.
    This will get no attention.  It is okay just as it was Okay for Obama to be a sexist ass so often.
    Ain't it fun being political footballs.  But I'll tell ya what.  Christie would not dare make the same kind of homophobic jokes as he does sexist jokes.  Gay marriage will become standard nationwide and women will still be begging men to be nice and try to understand why it is wrong that we only have 17 percent of the seats in congress etc....

    he mostly reminds me (5.00 / 1) (#7)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu Feb 16, 2012 at 08:09:22 PM EST
    of all the neanderthal construction workers who, when I lived in Manhattan, hooted and hurled insults at women who were walking by.

    Parent
    SITE VIOLATER (none / 0) (#9)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu Feb 16, 2012 at 08:58:55 PM EST


    Washington's Gov. Gregoire contacted Christie (none / 0) (#12)
    by leap on Thu Feb 16, 2012 at 10:58:38 PM EST
    from the The Seattle Times:

    Thursday, February 16, 2012

    Gregoire reached out to Christie on gay marriage

    The Associated Press

    Washington state Gov. Chris Gregoire sent New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie a letter last month offering to talk about gay marriage.

    Gregoire, a Democrat, wrote Christie on Jan. 31, saying that she has been on a personal journey, "because while I am a Governor, I am also a Catholic."

    The New Jersey Senate passed gay marriage on Monday, the same day Gregoire signed a gay marriage measure into law in Washington state. The New Jersey Assembly is expected to vote on the measure Thursday. Christie, a Republican who opposes gay marriage, has promised to veto the bill if it reaches his desk.

    Gregoire spokeswoman Karina Shagren says Gregoire was reaching out as a friend, and "by no means is there some contentious feeling between the two." Shagren says Christie has not responded.

    Copyright © The Seattle Times Company

    I admire her for doing trying to reason with that pig, but good luck with that. Hard to believe they are any kind of "friends."

    Wow, good for her (none / 0) (#15)
    by gyrfalcon on Fri Feb 17, 2012 at 01:44:06 AM EST
    I agree it's entirely hopeless, but still good for her for going above and beyond.

    Parent
    Fat jokes, Donald? Really? (none / 0) (#20)
    by Anne on Fri Feb 17, 2012 at 08:51:00 AM EST
    With all the substantive, issues-oriented reasons to go after Christie, you decided to make fat jokes, a lot of fat jokes?

    Not funny. Not even remotely.  His being a Republican doesn't even make them funny.

    Not even with the lame vaudeville accompaniment.

    If Chris Christie looked like George Clooney, Christie's stands on the issues wouldn't be any more acceptable, to me, anyway.

    that comment has been deleted (none / 0) (#26)
    by Jeralyn on Sat Feb 18, 2012 at 02:20:38 AM EST


    Parent
    If Democrats would stand by (none / 0) (#23)
    by MyLeftMind on Fri Feb 17, 2012 at 01:06:03 PM EST
    our country's principles of fairness and equality, this contentious gay rights issue would be over with. It should have been dealt with during the Clinton presidency, but we lacked the progressive leadership necessary to end discrimination. We had another opportunity with CA's Prop 8 in 2008, and again, the Democratic Party was too afraid to take a strong, pro-equality stand.

    This is one of the GOPs biggest fundraising and Get Out The Vote issues. We'll be hurt again in the 2012 election because we've catered to and appeased homophobes. Unless Democrats fix this problem, it'll be used over and over again to elect Republicans.

    Is it aversion or ambivalence or fear of a religious backlash, especially given the unending homophobia among African Americans and older voters? Whatever the reason, Democrats need to demand, loud and clear, that Congress enact the Respect for Marriage Act and move on. If we don't get it done, hate will continue to feed the coffers of right wing politicians.

    <guilty laughter . . . very guilty . . . > (none / 0) (#24)
    by The Addams Family on Fri Feb 17, 2012 at 02:02:42 PM EST


    SITE VIOLATOR (none / 0) (#25)
    by Peter G on Fri Feb 17, 2012 at 02:26:02 PM EST
    big time

    NJ House Passes Same-Sex Marriage Bill, Veto Likely | 20 comments (20 topical)

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