Maine senate passes gay marriage

[furrbear]

The Maine Senate just passed legislation legalizing marriages for gay couples in that state. The state House would have to pass the legislation as well, though it should be an easier fight than was the Senate, then it would go to governor Baldacci, a Democrat who hasn't said what he'll do.

A vote to send the issue up for a statewide referendum - i.e., a vote on whether to make marriage available to gays - failed. Probably in part because anti-gay legislators didn't want to vote to give residents a chance to legalize the marriages.

Yet another major advance for civil rights advocates.

Comments

[joebehrsandiego.livejournal.com]

Yay!

[furrbear.livejournal.com]

Red states. Blue states. Let's state referring to the PINK states.

[winstonthriller.livejournal.com]

However...Maine has "The People's Veto" whereby if opponents can get 10% of the number of voters in the last gubernatorial election to sign a petition within 90 days of the governor's signature, it can come up for a vote and be voted down by the people. That's according to a report on the gay radio...

[geometrician.livejournal.com]

It seems as though we are reaching a tipping point of sorts. I'm cautiously optimistic!

[winstonthriller.livejournal.com]

As a Vermonter, I reserve the right to not use Pink. Instead, we will refer to Vermont as the "Green on Thursdays Mountain State."

[jamesalbanybear.livejournal.com]

and you wonder why I like living in the Northeast...helloooo...it's not the facist, state of Texas where I am from...

[teddyb.livejournal.com]

Wow, this is amazing. There really seems to be a lot of momentum now to make gay marriage legal, state by state.

What a difference from a year ago!

I think this speaks volumes about how the influence of the radical religious right wing has lost influence in America.

I sure hope the trend continues.

Great news!

[cuboz.livejournal.com]

This really is like watching a row of dominoes slowly topple over....! It's friggin' AWESOME! :-)

[furrbear.livejournal.com]

It really is the best thing to come from the passage of Prop (H)8 in California.

Any hope for progress down in Oz?

[beardoc.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure that this is a good bit of any constitution at all.

[beardoc.livejournal.com]

So when are we going to have gay marriage in 25 states? Or even 50?