Vermont Governor Intends to Veto Same-Sex Marriage Bill
The ongoing saga continues in the realm of same-sex marriages. Word from Governor Jim Douglas of Vermont, the first state to legalize civil unions, has publicly stated that he would veto any bill legalizing same-sex marriage in that state. The Vermont Senate overwhelmingly approved such a bill last week and the House will hear testimony this week.
The Governor's rationale is that civil unions provide rights sufficient to protect same-sex couples, a conclusion directly in contrast to that recently found by the New Jersey Civil Union Review Commission in evaluating this State's own law. A blog entry on that recent conclusion can be found here. Whether or not enough legislative votes exist to override any such veto is uncertain, but certain lawmakers are displeased that the Governor would take the step of making such an announcement prior to a House vote.
Same-sex marriage developments have garnered a lot of news lately and it will be interesting to see how this latest issue unfolds.
