Washington Post: Gay-Marriage Bill Falls Short in House.
New Hampshire lawmakers voted Wednesday to reject a bill that would have made the state the sixth in the United States to authorize same-sex marriage.
[Click here to read more below the fold]
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New York Times: Setback to Gay Marriage in New Hampshire.
The vote made the bill’s survival less certain, but the measure is not dead yet. It will now go to a joint committee of the legislature, which will try to come up with language acceptable to the House and Senate. But it is unclear whether Governor Lynch, a Democrat, would sign it.
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The Union Leader: Gay marriage bill stalls in NH House.
House dealt a blow to supporters of gay marriage yesterday, refusing to agree to changes Governor Lynch wanted in exchange for his support.
[...]
The governor's press secretary, Colin Manning, said Lynch spelled out the protections he would need in order to sign the bill.
"While he will continue to talk to lawmakers, these principles must be maintained in any final version of this bill," Manning said. "If the Legislature fails to do so, he will veto it."
[...]
Kevin Smith, executive director of the Cornerstone Policy Research Action, a group opposing gay marriage, said polls show the state is divided on the issue and the House is as well judging from yesterday's vote.
"The Legislature should move on and not waste any more time on gay marriage and, instead, turn its attention to the budget and the state's economy," Smith said.
He also called on Lynch to stay true to his word and veto the gay marriage bill as he said he would if the changes were not included in the bill.
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The Concord Monitor: House vote imperils marriage bill.
Yesterday, the New Hampshire House nixed an amendment that Governor Lynch had termed crucial to winning his support for a bill that would merge SSM with marriage.
Last night, Lynch made clear he would not sign the original bill without an amendment.
Some opponents of the amendment said that
Lynch's language doesn't go far enough, saying it should protect private citizens who have wedding-related businesses, such as photographers or limousine drivers, but who find same-sex marriage anathema to their own religious beliefs.
The amendment, said Salem Rep. Marilinda Garcia, "provides no protection - and that's no protection whatsoever - to individuals based on their religious beliefs and faith."
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Related story in The Union Leader: Veto gay marriage bill, focus on budget.
Republicans also called for a non-binding referendum on the same-sex marriage to go before voters in the 2010 election. New Hampshire forbids binding voter referendums.
“Now is the time to allow the citizens of New Hampshire to vote on a same-sex marriage referendum,” said Sen. Minority Leader Peter Bragdon, R-Milford.
Former House Speaker and current House assistant minority leader Gene Chandler, R-Bartlett, said the proposed budget is half a billion dollars out of balance and there is only six weeks to resolve it before the new fiscal year begins.
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