BREAKING: New Hampshire State Senate Votes in Favor of Marriage for Same-Sex Couples!
April 29, 2009
Moments ago, New Hampshire senators voted 13-11 in favor of marriage equality! After a technical third reading in the senate, the bill will be reconciled with a marriage equality bill previously passed by the state House by a 186-179 vote last month, and then sent to Governor John Lynch for his signature. We're proud to tip our hat to one of our own for his role in this victory, HRC National Field Director Marty Rouse, who met with New Hampshire senators in Concord earlier this month and has worked his contact list tirelessly over the past few days to secure the final votes needed for senate passage. Marty has been working closely with New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair Ray Buckley and other leaders in New Hampshire over the years on LGBT legislation. He credited Ray for his hard work in a post earlier today. Joe Solmonese issued this statement today:
Just one month ago, there were only two states where same-sex couples could marry. Now, with this vote in New Hampshire, we are on the verge of having five states that recognize marriage equality for same-sex couples. It’s been quite a month, and we look forward to more states joining this group. We congratulate Senate President Sylvia Larsen, Senate Majority Leader Maggie Hassan and Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Deb Reynolds for their leadership in reaching a positive result. We also congratulate GLAD, PFLAG New Hampshire, the New Hampshire Freedom to Marry Coalition, the many activists, including HRC members, who have been working to build support for this legislation, and the majority of New Hampshire voters who support marriage equality. The votes in the House and Senate simply recognize that same-sex couples who form committed relationships and loving families deserve the same level of respect and dignity afforded to other couples. The Senate's amendment protects the religious freedom of clergy and religious organizations, while respecting the rights of same-sex couples to protect and care for their families. I hope the House will concur with the amended version by the Senate, and that Gov. Lynch will join the legislature and the majority of New Hampshire voters and allow this important legislation to become law.
Lesbian and gay couples do not receive federal rights and benefits in any state. To learn more about state by state legislation visit: www.hrc.org/state_laws.
