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UPDATE: N.H. House passes marriage bill! by Lisa Keen
contributing writerThursday Mar 26, 2009 12:45 p.m. - UPDATED: N.H. House passes marriage bill!
Thursday, March 26 - Concord, N.H. - In a dramatic session, the New Hampshire House of Representatives just passed a bill allowing gay couples to obtain marriage licenses - a vote that came less than 30 minutes after the House defeated the measure by one vote.
The vote for passage -186 to 179 - came after the House first voted 182 to 183, defeating the bill. But in unprecedented action, the House took a rapid of series of procedural votes that threw that first vote - and the bill - into a confusing state of limbo.
It also came just minutes after a dramatic address by openly gay state Rep. David Pierce, who spoke at length about his almost 20-year relationship with is partner Bob and their love and concern for their two young daughters.
When the 182 to 183 vote was posted on the electronic voting board, at just after noon Thursday, there was a loud exclamation from the House and public balcony that sounded both anguished and surprised, along with a smattering of applause.
The House body then launched into a raucous consideration of whether to table the bill -and thus preserving the ability to bring it back to the floor this session - or pronounce the measure dead. Today is the last day a measure can pass the House and be sent to the Senate for consideration this session.
Passage in the New Hampshire House came just three days after another historic vote in neighboring Vermont. There, the Senate voted 26 to 4 to pass a marriage equality bill.
Republican Gov. Jim Douglas of Vermont said after the Senate vote there this week that he will veto the bill if it passes. In New Hampshire, Colin Manning, a spokesperson for Gov. John Lynch, said the governor opposes same-sex marriage but has not yet indicated whether he will sign or veto the legislation, should it pass.
One of the first amendments proposed during debate was a hostile amendment, aimed at requiring the state to provide two types of marriage licenses-one for religious marriages and one for civil marriages. The amendment was struck down by a 34 to 306.
The New Hampshire bill now goes to the Senate. The Vermont bill now goes to the House.
10: 00 a.m. Debate got underway in the New Hampshire House about 9:50 this morning on a bill to approve marriage licenses for gay couples. A hostile amendment was immediately offered to amend the bill to provide two types of licenses -- one for religious marriages, one for civil marriages. The amendment was soundly defeated 34 to 306.
Check back later today for a full report.
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