UK: House of Lords Votes 95-21 to Allow Gay Weddings in Welcoming Churches

When the Church of England's bishops defeated a clarification of the Equality Bill's clause on religious exemption last month it was possible to construct a principled defence of their position. But the campaign to block the celebration of civil partnerships from other denominations' buildings was wholly indefensible. Last night it failed by a spectacular margin in the House of Lords - 95 to 21; although the bishops' votes were evenly split: of the serving ones, Bradford voted to block, and Newcastle to permit; of the retired bishops, Lord Harries voted for permission, and Lord Eames, the former Archbishop of Armagh, voted against.

The case in favour as put by Lady Butler-Sloss, who had earlier that evening been accused of putting down homophobic amendments that would have protected Catholic adoption agencies against the law, an accusation she angrily disputed. In this context, she said:

"Same-sex couples can have strong and devoted relationships equal to, but different from, marriage and they may wish to have those relationships sanctified by a religious ceremony. If there are churches and synagogues prepared to do that, why should we stand in their way? They have rights to be loved and rights to have their ceremonies recognised."

Full Story from The Guardian
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VA: Episcopal Diocese Delays on Recognition of Gay Marriages

The Episcopal Diocese of Virginia hedged on recognizing same-sex unions Saturday, instead voting to form a committee to set standards for church-sanctioned blessings of such unions once they are approved by the entire 2-million-member Episcopal Church. About 346 delegates to the dioceses annual council meeting at Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria narrowly voted -- by a show of hands - to form the committee.

It was a less radical choice for the 80,000-member Virginia diocese, the largest in the Episcopal Church. A substitute amendment suggesting the diocese allow openly gay clergy and same-sex blessings failed after a lengthy debate.

The vote was in response to last summer's decision by the Episcopal General Convention, which met in Anaheim, Calif., to pass resolution C056, which empowered the denomination to begin "collecting and developing theological resources and liturgies" for same-sex blessings. The denomination is expected to endorse some kind of rite at its 2012 meeting in Indianapolis.

Full Story from the Washington Times
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NH: Legislature Rejects Marriage Equality Repeal Bill 210-109, With 40 Republicans Joining

Gay marriage became legal in the state on January 1st but conservative Republicans quickly announced plans to seek repeal. They introduced two measures: a bill to repeal both gay marriage and the state's 2007 civil unions law, and a resolution seeking a constitutional amendment to restrict marriage to one man and one woman. The first was defeated in the House by 210-109 and the second by 201-135.

Opponents hoped to capitalise on the fact that gay marriage rights in the US have never been granted by voters, and 31 states have constitutional bans on gay marriage.

According to the Union-Leader, the bill's main sponsor Al Baldasaro argued that the state should not concede to gay couples. "Homosexuals can change their sexual preference at any time," he argued.

Full Story from Pink News
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NH: Legislature Rejects Gay Marriage Ballot Push

The New Hampshire House today rejected a proposed constitutional amendment that would have barred gay marriage in New Hampshire. CACR 28 defined marriage in this state by saying it can only be between a man and a woman.

It was rejected by a wide margin, 201-135, short of a simple majority and far below the three-fifths majority -- 238 votes -- it needed to advance to the Senate.

Sponsors tried to delay a vote on the bill until March 17, so local voters could weigh in on petitions at town meeting that ask for a popular vote on the amendment. "All we're trying to do here is put this on the ballot," Rep. David Bates, R-Windham, arguing voters should have their say.

Full Story from the Union Leader
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IA: Four Democratic Senators Join Republicans to Push for Gay Marriage Ban

Four Democratic state senators - Dennis Black of Grinnell, Keith Kreiman of Bloomfield, Rich Olive of Story City and Joe Seng of Davenport - broke with their party and signed on to a Republican petition to force a vote on same-sex marriage. But with last week marking the first self-imposed legislative "funnel week" deadline for bills to clear committee to stay eligible for consideration this year, the marriage amendment is officially dead, at least in this form.

Last week, Republicans attempted to use a procedural move, called a discharge petition, to pull Senate Joint Resolution 2001 out of committee and put it before the full Senate for debate and a vote. The bill would begin the process of amending the state's constitution to ban same-sex marriage. All 18 Senate Republicans were joined by Democratic state Sen. Tom Hancock of Epworth in signing the petition.

A similar attempt was made in the state House that also failed to find enough votes to bring a gay marriage ban up for a vote.

Full Story from the Iowa Independent
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NC: Asheville Votes 4-2 to Move Ahead on Domestic Partner Benefits

City Council took a key and controversial step Tuesday in extending benefits to the partners of gay municipal employees. The move followed pleas for and against the motion by gay and straight members of the Asheville Police Department, civic leaders, ministers and others. Passions ran high with police at one point removing a speaker from the council chambers, which was filled to capacity with 70 people.

The council voted 4-2 to have city staff report March 9 on how workers' same-sex domestic partners could get the same benefits as heterosexual employees' spouses, including health insurance, bereavement leave and prescription drug coverage. A majority of council members said they expect to vote for a final measure after the report.

Councilman Gordon Smith advanced the proposal, saying the change fit Asheville's tradition of being a friendly and diverse city. “Tonight we can continue that tradition and provide equal compensation for equal work,” Smith said.

Full Story from the Citizen Times
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NH: Panel Votes Today on Gay Marriage Repeal

A House committee will recommend whether New Hampshire's five-week-old gay marriage law should be repealed.

The Judiciary Committee also votes Tuesday whether to support a constitutional amendment banning gay unions. Gay marriage opponents know their chance of success is slim, but they want to keep the issue before voters in hopes Republicans will regain control of the Statehouse from Democrats in November and succeed then in repealing the law.

The House next acts on the recommendations. New Hampshire became the fifth state to legalize gay marriage on Jan. 1.

Full Story from WCAX
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MI: State to Vote in November on Rewriting Constitution

Looking to make Michigan's Legislature part time? Want to fix the broken school finance system or launch sweeping reform of state tax policy? Hoping to overturn constitutional amendments outlawing affirmative action or gay marriage? This might be your year.

Voters in November will be asked if they want to rewrite the state constitution, opening the door for a possible wholesale change of the document that forms the bedrock of state government. Even recent voter-passed constitutional amendments, such as medical marijuana or stem cell research, could be up for debate.
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The political stars may be aligned as Michigan's economic collapse, coupled with the growing clamor for sweeping public policy reform and deepening frustration about inaction in the state capital, might prompt voters to toss out the 48-year-old, 52-page document and call for a constitutional convention, or "con-con" for short. Among those pushing a "yes" vote on Proposal 1 is Gov. Jennifer Granholm.

Full Story from The Detroit News
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FL: County Preparing to Vote on Anti Discrimination Measure for Gays, Lesbians

A proposal to change Leon County's charter to add anti-discrimination protection for gays and lesbians moved forward Thursday. The county's charter-review committee, which voted 10-3 in favor of the proposal, is expected to vote Feb. 11 on whether to move it on to public hearings and a vote by county commissioners. If approved, it would go to voters later this year.

Members of the committee debated whether the protections should take the form of a charter amendment or an ordinance. Some people in the gay community are concerned that if the measure goes to voters, it might not pass.

Ralph Mason, a member of the charter-review committee, proposed the amendment during a previous meeting. But he asked Thursday that it be taken up instead by the county's human-relations advisory committee, which has been studying the issue.

Full Story from Tallahassee.com
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IN: Senate Approves Constitutional Ban on Gay Marriage

The GOP-led Senate voted again Thursday to approve a constitutional amendment that would ban gay marriage in Indiana. Senate Joint Resolution 13 passed 38-10 with all local senators in support. The resolution must be approved again in 2011 before voters could make the final decision in a 2012 statewide referendum.

“Marriage is one of the foundations of our society and one I firmly believe needs to be protected,” said Sen. Carlin Yoder, R-Middlebury.

Sen. Tim Lanane, D-Anderson, expressed concern that the second sentence in the amendment could affect domestic violence protections afforded to unmarried Hoosiers. That provision says a “legal status identical or substantially similar to that of marriage for unmarried individuals shall not be valid or recognized.” “This certainly will not say welcome to many people in our society,” Lanane said.

Full Story from the Journal Gazette
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IN: Senate May Vote Today on Gay Marriage Ban

Supporters of gay rights are moving to head off the latest attempt to put a gay-marriage ban in the Indiana Constitution. The Senate could vote as early as Thursday on a constitutional amendment. Opponents of the proposal concede it's almost certain to pass, and likely to die in the House.

Attorney Don Sherfick with Indiana Equality Action says the group is taking no chances. He says the IEA is lobbying for neither gay marriage nor civil unions at the moment, but argues a constitutional amendment would short-circuit public dialogue.

The National Association of Social Workers is joining in opposing the ban. Indianapolis social worker Josephine Hughes says the group considers it discriminatory.

Full Story from WIBC
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FL: South Miami Gives City Employees Domestic Partner Benefits

When South Miami Mayor Horace Feliu and Commissioner Valerie Newman are on the same page, you know the issue transcends politics. At Tuesday's meeting, most commissioners voted to allow city employees' domestic partners, whether straight or gay, to enjoy the same benefits and rights an employee's spouse would get. Newman and Feliu co-sponsored the ordinance, with Vice Mayor Brian Beasley and Commissioner Lew Sellars voting in its favor. Commissioner Velma Palmer cast the lone vote against it. The benefits include hospital visitation rights and healthcare coverage. Commissioners gave preliminary approval to the measure at their Dec. 8 meeting. Full Story from the Miami Herald

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HI: Civil Union Vote Friday?

It was the most dramatic vote of last year's Legislature, and it resolved nothing: The impassioned debate at the Capitol over civil unions and gay marriage is back this week. "It is my understanding that it will be put on the Order of the Day (agenda) Thursday and put it up for a vote on Friday," said Sen. Brian Taniguchi, chairman of the Judiciary Committee. The bill was stalled in his committee with three committee members in favor and three against the bill, when it was yanked onto the Senate floor last year. It was high political drama because the bill to legalize civil unions between same-sex partners had already passed the House. Just 13 yes votes and the historic measure would go to Gov. Linda Lingle. But the Senate blinked, amending the bill and promising to come back and try again. That time is this session. Full Story from the Star Bulletin

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HI: Anti Gay Protesters Rally Ahead of Civil Unions Vote

Social conservatives in Hawaii held a large rally Sunday at the State Capitol to protest a bill that would recognize gay couples with civil unions. The bill ran aground during last year's legislative session after over 6,000 anti-gay protesters stormed the Capitol the Sunday before a key Senate committee vote. The bill deadlocked on a 3-3 vote in the Senate Judiciary Committee. The final tally came after a grueling 18 hour marathon hearing that ended at 3AM. Six senators voted in favor of pulling the bill from committee and putting it up for a vote, but the effort fell short of the 9 votes needed to move the bill. A second effort just days before the end of the legislative session succeeded in retrieving the bill. Senators quickly amended the bill to include both gay and straight couples but the session ended without a vote on the measure. The amended bill needs the approval of both chambers of the Legislature to move to the governor's desk. Previously, the House approved the original bill on a 33 to 17 vote. Full Story from On Top Magazine

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HI: Legislature to Vote on Civil Unions Bill Shortly

When Hawaii legislators reconvene on Wednesday, all eyes will be focused not on teacher furloughs that resulted in the nation's shortest school year or the state's $1 billion budget deficit, but legislation that would allow same-sex couples to form civil unions. The measure would grant gay couples the rights and benefits the state provides to married couples and is among a handful of similar proposals that could pop up in several other states. At the same time, a federal judge in San Francisco is considering the constitutionality of California's same-sex marriage ban. "This bill has already been voted on, so there isn't as much convincing to do anymore," said Alan Spector of Equality Hawaii, a leading supporter of the bill. "I think (legislators) get the substance of the bill and the need for the bill." Last year, the proposal easily won preliminary passage in the Legislature, but stalled in May after opponents lobbied and held a state Capitol rally attended by several thousand protesters. Full Story from The Washington Post

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CA: New Study Shows Large Discrepancies in Prop 8 Vote, Exit Booth Polling

A new study by the Election Defense Alliance, a national, non-profit election watchdog group, reports that the November, 2008, vote to take away the existing right of gays and lesbians to legally marry in California through Proposition 8 was "probably corrupted." EDA co-founders Sally Castleman and Jonathan Simon write that the watchdog group conducted exit polling at 19 precincts on Election Day, 2008, in Los Angeles County, the major swing county in California that supposedly voted in favor of the gay marriage ban. EDA then found a huge disparity between the exit polling numbers and the official vote count, with more L.A. County residents actually voting against Proposition 8. "It is beyond the scope of this study to know if any corruption was due to honest error or intentional fraud," Castleman and Simon write. "Further investigation is warranted." Full Story from LA Weekly: http://blogs.laweekly.com/ladaily/politics/proposition-8-vote-rigged/

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NJ: How the Senators Voted on Gay Marriage

The 20-14 roll call vote by which the New Jersey Senate on Thursday defeated a bill to legalize gay marriage. Voting "no" were 6 Democrats and 14 Republicans. Voting "yes" were 13 Democrats and 1 Republican. It would have taken 21 "yes" votes to pass. Democrats - Yes Buono, Metuchen; Codey, West Orange; Cunningham, Jersey City; Gill, Montclair; Gordon, Fair Lawn; Lesniak, Elizabeth; Ruiz, Newark; Scutari, Linden; Smith, Piscataway; Stack, Union City; Vitale, Woodbridge; Weinberg, Teaneck; Whalen, Atlantic City. Democrats - No Girgenti, Hawthorne; Madden, Washington Township, Gloucester County; Rice, Newark; Sacco, North Bergen; Turner, Trenton; Van Drew, Dennis. Democrats - Not voting Beach, Voorhees; Sarlo, Wood-Ridge; Sweeney, West Deptford. Republicans - Yes Baroni, Hamilton. Republicans - No Bateman, Branchburg; Beck, Red Bank; Bucco, Denville; Cardinale, Demarest; Connors, Surf City; Doherty, Washington Township, Warren County; Haines, Springfield; S. Kean, Wall; T. Kean, Westfield; Kyrillos, Middletown; Oroho, Franklin Borough; O'Toole, Cedar Grove; Pennacchio, Montville; Singer, Lakewood. Republicans - Not voting Allen, Edgewater Park; Ciesla, Brick. Full Story from the Daily Record: http://www.dailyrecord.com/article/20100108/UPDATES01/301080003/1005/NEWS01

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NJ: Marriage Equality Groups to Petition Supreme Court

Gay rights activists failed in their attempt to have New Jersey become the sixth state to legalize gay marriage when a bill fell far short of passage Thursday in the state Senate. By a 20-14 vote, the Senate rejected the measure, despite a 100-minute debate dominated by legislators urging its passage and the presence of hundreds of gay rights activists. Five state senators did not vote on the measure, including Sen. Stephen M. Sweeney, D-Camden, who is expected to be named the Senate president later this month, and Sen. James Beach, D-Camden. Sen. Andrew R. Ciesla, R-Ocean, was absent. Sen. Bill Baroni Jr., R-Mercer, was the only one of the upper house's 17 Republicans to vote for the legislation. ... After the vote, gay rights activists vowed to go to the state Supreme Court, where they planned to argue that the state's civil union law has failed to provide equal rights and that the current law is a violation of the freedom of religion for those denominations that recognize homosexual marriage. Full Story from the Daily Record: http://www.dailyrecord.com/article/20100108/COMMUNITIES/301080004/1005/news01/Activists-plan-NJ-Supreme-Court-fight

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NJ: Gay Marriage Bill Defeated in Senate by 20-14

A bill which would legalise gay marriage in New Jersey failed in the state Senate yesterday. It was defeated by 20-14 votes. The vote was a last-ditch bid to push the bill through before new governor Chris Christie takes office later this month. He has said he does not support marriage for same-sex couples. A vote in December was delayed because supporting senators did not believe the bill had enough votes to pass. Current governor Jim Corzine said he was "deeply disappointed" the bill did not pass. Gay rights advocates are already planning a legal challenge against the decision. Full Story from Pink News: http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/08/gay-marriage-bill-fails-in-new-jersey-senate/

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NJ: Senate to Vote on Gay Marriage Bill Tomorrow

New Jersey's Senate will vote tomorrow on gay marriage in a final attempt to pass the bill before a new governor takes office. A vote was cancelled in early December after Democrats were reportedly concerned the bill did not have enough votes to pass. Outgoing governor Jim Corzine has said he will sign the bill but his successor Chris Christie takes over later on January 19th and has made his opposition to gay marriage clear. If successful in the Senate, the bill must pass the Assembly before going for governor approval. Full Story from Pink News: http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/06/new-jersey-in-last-ditch-vote-on-gay-marriage/

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