Same-Sex Marriage Bill -- Final Vote This Morning

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The House passed the same-sex marriage bill 95-52 late last night, and will vote on it for a final time this morning at 9:30 a.m.

Shay Totten is headed to Montpelier to cover the proceedings.

Click here to read his updates on Twitter.

Here are some links to coverage of yesterday's emotional debate:

House Passes Gay Marriage (Burlington Free Press)
House Endorses Gay Marriage (VPR)
House Shouts Yes to Gay Marriage (Rutland Herald)
Gay Marriage Bill Poised for Veto (Reuters)
Vermont House Gives Preliminary OK to Gay Marriage (AP)
Vermont House Backs Gay Marriage (Wall Street Journal)

Comments

[Linda in the Northeast Kingdom]

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20090403/NEWS/90403010

The Iowa Supreme Court this morning unanimously upheld gays’ right to marry.

“The Iowa statute limiting civil marriage to a union between a man and a woman violates the equal protection clause of the Iowa Constitution,” the justices said in a summary of their decision.

The court rules that gay marriage would be legal in three weeks, starting April 24.

[H20Color]

I really think Douglas is not supporting the Same Sex Marriage Bill because he does not plan to run again for office and he wants to run for President. So his goal is to appeal to the national conservative platform, the right wing conservatives of the GOP. This is a calculated move by Douglas. He does not care about Vermont or its social or financial stability. He is also trying to cut 600 state jobs which again, will harm working class Vermonters but strengthen his GOP values as a no government, fiscal concervative. For Douglas, this is NOT about anything else but pure, calculated politics designed to elevate his status on the national platform. I hope Vermonters wake up to this guy!

[Sir Winston Thriller]

Many, many thanks to Shay and the rest of the folks for the coverage.

What should have been a happy day yesterday was ruined in advance by the Governor's calculated and cynical veto announcement. I hope we end up with enough votes for an override. My own rep (Sonny Audette) voted NO on religious reasons. I guess we're the last minority you can hate openly.

[Liz Schlegel]

Sir Winston:

Rep. Audette's comments were very interesting. He may support an override. I suggest you call or write him and ask him to stand with a majority of Vermonters and legislators against the Governor. An override vote is on caucus grounds (i.e.,what kind of Democrat are you?) rather than the bill in question.

[Sir Winston Thriller]

Liz --

I took you advice and left him an email with the Sgt. At Arms, and will try and chat Sonny up this weekend while doing yardwork. Told him in the email that the vote would be to override the Governor's veto, not to vote for marriage equality. So, it could, in some sense, square with his religious convictions. (As a Catholic myself, I can debate "how many angels can dance on the head of a pin" and not break a sweat!)

[Jay Vos]

The way I understand it, if the Vermont equal marriage law goes into effect (overriding the veto), it will be the first time for a state to do so without a court order. What happened in Iowa was from a court decision. I applaud the news today about Iowa, but to say that the midwesterners beat Vermont, as if it was a race, is silly.

I was in Montpelier yesterday. I also applaud Cathy and Shay's coverage this past week, by tweets and "Blurt(s)." :-P
- Jay