New Hampshire Republicans don’t want voters to decide. State Rep. David Bates, R-Windham, scrapped his proposed constitutional amendment to ban marriage in favor of repealing the state’s civil union law, according to the Associated Press.
“The bill to change the meaning of marriage back to what it was in statute is well on its way,” he said.
Meanwhile, New Hampshire Republican Party Vice Chairman J.P. Marzullo, pictured above right, is railing against repealing the law. Marzullo, the father of a gay son, laid out his feelings in a Concord Monitor op-ed, On Top Magazine reports.
“I ask those who represent us in the Legislature to think about this when they are ready to vote for the bill repealing same-sex marriage. One out of every three teenage suicides is related to being gay and the discrimination that they face every day,” Marzullo wrote.
Photo: Advocate.com
Debate on Defense of Marriage Act’s repeal began today. The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee is starting the process to end DOMA, which prohibits the government from sanctioning gay marriage, The Advocate reports.
That debate begins, while the pro-gay Respect for Marriage Act could be voted on this week or next. U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California introduced the bill in March.
U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Florida, remains the sole GOP member of congress pushing for a DOMA repeal. Ros-Lehtinen lent her name to the bill’s House version in September.
Photos: J.P. Marzullo, courtesy of New Hampshire Republican Party; DOMA meeting, courtesy of Advocate.com
