Moments ago, the Vermont House voted 100-49 to override the marriage bill veto! The House vote, which followed the Senate voting 23-5 this morning to override Gov. Douglas’s veto, means that Vermont becomes the first state to OK marriage equality through the legislative process.
Today Vermont joins Massachusetts, Connecticut and Iowa in allowing gay and lesbian couples to legally marry.
Statement by Senate President Pro Tem Peter Shumlin regarding the passage of S. 115 “An Act Relating to Civil Marriage”:
Today Vermont legislators did the right thing by overriding Governor Douglas’ veto and granting equal rights to all Vermonters. The struggle for equal rights is never easy. I was proud to be President of the Senate nine years ago when Vermont led the country by creating civil unions. Today is another historic day for Vermont and I have never felt more proud as we become the first state in the country to enact marriage equality not as the result of a court order, but because it is the right thing to do.”
Many thanks to all the Vermonters who participated in this debate, Vermont Freedom to Marry, MassEquality, the Human Rights Campaign, and everyone who helped make today’s victory possible.
http://www.hrcbackstory.org/2009/04/victory-vermont-votes-for-marriage-equality/
THIS JUST IN: DC Council votes to recognize out-of-state same-sex marriage
The D.C. Council has voted to recognize gay marriages performed in other states on the same day that Vermont became the fourth state to legalize same-sex unions.
Domestic partnerships already are legal in the nation’s capital, and gay couples married in other states are recognized as domestic partners when they move the city. But today’s legislation, billed as an important milestone in gay rights, explicitly recognizes them as married couples.
1 comment:
Wow! This all seems to be happening at once. Crazy awesome!
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