Gay Marriage Bill Passes Assembly, Veto Looms

The New Jersey Assembly passed a bill legalizing same-sex marriages Thursday, sending the 41-33 vote to Gov. Chris Christie's desk for a likely veto.

The bill, titled the Marriage Equality and Religious Exemption Act, would effectively eliminate the civil unions that have been in place since 2007, and  define marriage as the legally recognized union of two consenting people in a committed relationship.

The Governor, an opponent of gay marriage, promised "very swift action" if the bill passed both houses of the Legislature. The Senate approved the bill Monday in a 24-16 vote.

The bill, which could be vetoed by the governor immediately, would need several Republican votes in each house for an override.

Steven Goldstein, head of Garden State Equality, the state's largest gay rights group, said Thursday on the group's Facebook page that the override campaign had already begun.

"Civil rights is incremental, civil rights is long range, and you take one achievement at a time," Goldstein said in a statement.

Stumping for state Sen. Joe Kyrillos Thursday at a fundraiser for the Monmouth County Republican's bid for U.S. Senate, Christie reiterated his stance on the issue, saying he thought gay marriage should be put to a popular vote on the November ballot.

"If the public supports it, we should put it on the ballot and let the people decide it," Christie said. "It's an exercise in theater. I've been clear on this issue and I've given them an alternative," he said.

While most Republicans have taken the same stance, the Senate passed the bill on Monday with help from Republicans Jennifer Beck (R-Monmouth) and Diane Allen (R-Burlington). 

Most Democrats say gay marriage should not be subject to a referendum because it is a civil right protected by the Constitution.

But Christie dismissed that notion Thursday.

"I trust the people New Jersey to be fair. They don't. That's the fundamental difference," he said.

Still, many are celebrating today, including ACLU-NJ Executive Director Deborah Jacobs.

Today New Jersey took an important move towards equality. Now we must embark on the work of winning support to override the governor’s promised veto.
Trenton’s two-year evolution from just missing the opportunity to give couples the freedom to marry to enthusiastically sending it to the governor’s desk this week has been remarkable, but we are far from achieving our ultimate goal: getting the bill signed into law. Even if it takes until the end of this legislative session, we have faith that enough legislators will recognize a piece of themselves in the stories of gay and lesbian couples who simply want the chance to fulfill their lives together without their love declared "second-class."

U.S. Senator Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) also applauded today's vote and sent a strong message to the Governor. 

"Governor Christie should get on the right side of history and sign this bill into law. The New Jersey legislature has made it clear that same-sex couples deserve the right to marry and must not be treated as second class citizens," Lautenberg said. "Marriage equality is one of the most significant civil rights battles of our time and is critical to guaranteeing the equal protection under the law promised to every American in the Constitution. "