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Loading ...GOP tells Lynch to kill gay marriage bill
05.21.2009 5:09pm EDT
(Concord, New Hampshire) New Hampshire Republicans are telling Gov. John Lynch to veto same-sex marriage legislation before the Democratically-controlled House and Senate can agree on a compromise amendment.
At a press conference, GOP members from the House and Senate accused Democrats of wasting time when they should be concentrating on the economy, and urged Lynch kill the marriage bill now.Republicans said the voters should decide whether same-sex couples should have the right to marry.
“Now is the time to allow the citizens of New Hampshire to vote on a same-sex marriage referendum,” Sen. Minority Leader Peter Bragdon (R) told reporters.
A same-sex marriage bill passed the legislature earlier this month, but Lynch said he would veto it unless it offered better protections to churches that oppose same-sex marriage.
The revisions approved Wednesday morning in the Senate by a 14-10 vote would have made it clear that churches, church organizations and staff are protected from lawsuits if they refuse to permit same-sex marriages.
But when it went to the House in the afternoon, it was defeated by only two votes – 188-186.
The revisions now go to a joint House Senate committee to try to work out a compromise acceptable to the governor.
If a compromise is reached and Lynch signs the bil, l it would make New Hampshire the sixth state to permit same-sex marriage and the fifth in New England.
To think that Log Cabiners wouldn’t give a damn if is vetoed, yes gay republicans, an oxymoron if ever there were. Marriage quality is way down the ladder on their agenda. All they care about is the economy, lower taxes and the preservation of the status quo, their status quo. Ask them why marriage equality was never on their platform at any GOP convention and more importantly, why none of them are ever given a place to deliver a speech. Their leader never takes any of them on on this one issue of full equality.
Y’all see this stuff here work’n- we needs to get back down to hizza work in the South and get some other undesirables voted out of their rights. Who we’s don’t like we can vote them there rights gone. Y’all thinking who should we start with?
I think Sen minority leader (GOP) Peter Bragdon needs to be defeated at the NH polls at voting time for NH office holders. He needs to be replaced by a champion of equality for all New Hampshire citizens.
I’d urge you NH folks to write your reps in the House. It was the House reps on the marriage equality side who shot themselves in the foot by refusing to accept the actually very reasonable request from the governor. Technically, I think the religious liberty assurances are unnecessary, but if it makes religious folks feel more comfortable about this (and calls the bluff of many of the arguments made against legalizing same-sex marriage), then it’s a good thing.
If this thing falls apart for NH, I would blame the House, not the Governor.
The Repugs did the same thing here in Vt wrt “Legislature should focus on the economy”. Our Legislature proved, just as the have in New Hampshire, that they CAN do more than one thing at a time. The really ironic thing is that by sending it back for amendments, or in our case vetoing it, the Governor just creates more of a distraction from other issues. Let’s hope Governor Lynch does the right thing… get those letters and emails flying NH residents!
Kris you are so right; “why should we allow people
to vote on our civil rights???” We shouldn’t. Not in
this country where all men are created equal. This
is Stonewall II, we want full civil equality now.
The churches own the Bible, they can have it. But
as Americans we own the Constitution, and we will
have all that it guarantees. Civil marriage is a civil
right.
i am from new hampshire and i say its time for us to have equal marriage so he should pass the bill
Why should we allow people to vote on our civil rights??? We are “Americans”, pay our taxes, and we allow bigoted people to tell us, “you aren’t as good as me”. WE ARE EQUAL and that is what we should all be fighting for.
“Thanks GOP, I’ll take that into consideration.” “So what’s for dinner?”
I don’t think this was a “plot” by Lynch. He’s expended too much political capital by saying he’d sign a marriage-equality bill. He could’ve sidelined it other ways without the hit to his capital.
I think Democrats can focus on the economy and marriage at the same time. Government is not a one-issue-at-a-time job (nor is my own). If the Party of No thinks so, they’re in the wrong field.
“Allowing the citizens to vote”…WTF? The Party of No is also the Party of No Clue… You can always count on the issue of marriage-equality to bring out the silly-side of the Party of No. But it creeps out on other issues as well.
As far as the Party of No I’m shocked, just shocked!, that they’d want to veto this. At least they’re consistent…consitently backwards.
Like he’s going to veto it now after the Party of No tells him to…!!
The GOP used to suck, it still sucks, and I am willing to bet that it will suck in the future for gay and lesbians and their rights.
I will blame Lynch if the bill is vetoed, no excuses.
Well see if Lynch possesses a spin with how he handles this. If he screws us, then it will be up to teh citizens of NH to royally screw him and the NH GOP in return.
And the Log Cabin Repugs wonder why the vast majority of GLBT people despise the GOP.
Who’s kidding whom? This has been the plan all along – Lynch and his right-wing buddies were out lobbying the legislature to change their opinions while Lynch was “thinking” about it. Then, he can appear to be supportive by sending the bill back with language that would cost the vote in the Legislature.
The conservatives played this one very well – this particular piece of legislation will now die, and it won’t look like it’s Lynch’s (or conservatives) fault. WELL PLAYED.
Let’s all write to Govnernor Lynch to do the right thing and sign this marriage equality bill. Especially those who live in New Hampshire.