Gay Marriage Becomes Law in New Hampshire
June 3, 2009 by Staff Reporter
Filed under State House
The Democratic controlled New Hampshire legislature today overcame final hurdles to make the Granite State the sixth state in the nation to recognize gay marriage.
By a vote of 14-10 in the Senate and 198-176 in the House, the legislature passed a series of amendments sought by Governor Lynch prior to his agreeing to sign the bill.
The governor, a long time opponent of gay marriage who has recently walked back his previously held opinions under pressure from various constituencies, signed the legislation into law soon after passage. It will go into effect on January 1, 2010.
Commenting on Lynch’s reversal, former New Hampshire Governor and Republican State Committee Chairman John H. Sununu said, “Up until the very last minute I had hoped that Governor Lynch would keep his word and veto the same-sex marriage bill. Unfortunately the Governor has let down the people of New Hampshire by making a calculated political decision and failing to honor his commitment.”
Gay marriage has been the primary focus of the New Hampshire legislature for much of the session, despite calls by many to focus on more pressing issues, such as the state’s multi-million dollar budget deficit.
Today’s votes marked the 11th and 12th taken on the measure according to Cornerstone Policy Research, a conservative New Hampshire think tank.
Remarking on the legislation’s roundabout road to passage, Cornerstone Executive Director Kevin Smith said, “It is no surprise that the legislature finally passed the last piece to the gay marriage bill today. After all, when you take 12 votes on five iterations of the same issue, you’re bound to get it passed sooner or later.”
Smith also joined other critics in decrying what critics are calling the Machiavellian measures used to pass the bill. “The process in which the legislature has rammed this legislation through from the very beginning reeks of backroom deals and a subversion of the legislative process. It has certainly tainted the validity of the gay marriage bill in minds of many citizens,” he said.
