State Assembly passes gay marriage bill

TRENTON — After about two hours of forum in the State House, the New Jersey State Legislature voted in favor of same-sex marriage. But the discussion is far from over.

The N.J. State Assembly passed the Marriage Equality and Religious Exemption Act yesterday 42-33. The state Senate passed the corresponding bill on Monday, 24-16.

But Gov. Chris Christie stands by his vow to veto the bill when it reaches his desk, according to nj.com.

“We have a history in our country of having difficulty of balancing out issues of sexuality and issues of about equality,” said Assemblywoman Sheila Oliver, D-34.

Because the votes did not reach the two-thirds majority for both voting bodies, the efforts were not enough to override Christie’s probable veto.

Assemblyman Reed Gusciora, D-15, said he believes putting the issue of same-sex marriage on the ballot is the wrong thing to do.

“Let’s go back to marriage laws in 1766 — when divorce was illegal, when women were property … and then there were arranged marriages,” he said. “The fact is that marriage has evolved over time. We actually base them on love this time around.”

More than 100 activists — some wearing blue in support of the bill’s passing and others wearing red to demonstrate their opposition — filled the gallery seats at the State House to await the Assembly’s resolution.

A group of about 200 protestors, composed of individuals from different religious and political affiliations, rallied outside the building in support of Christie’s referendum.

Most of the state Republicans who spoke supported putting the issue to ballot, including Assemblywoman Allison McHose, R-24. She said the issue is not about civil rights.

“This is not about discrimination against someone’s choice,” McHose said. “This, today, is a discussion of [whether we should], as 120 members of the Legislature, be deciding this important and fundamental change.”

McHose said legislators should debate on what New Jerseyans want, like re-entering the workforce or lowering property taxes.

The bill stipulates that civil unions in the state of New Jersey will be abolished and that all current civil unions will become marriages, according to an NJSpotlight.com article. The bill also states it will not require any religious institution to make a marriage official. 

Assemblyman Louis Greenwald, D-6, questioned why a same-sex couple could not have the same rights as a heterosexual couple.

“Why should access to a mortgage in New Jersey be denied to a couple because they are two women?” he asked the chamber. “Why should access to quality health care be denied to a spouse of a person they have been committed to for years because they are the same sex?”

Assemblyman Jay Webber, R-26, said he opposes changing the traditional form of marriage.

Connor Montferrat, the president of the Rutgers College Republicans, said New Jerseyans should have the chance to see the bill and make a conscious decision on voting day.

“[Christie] wants to veto it because his opinion is getting in the way and he would like to see it on ballot,” said Montferrat, a School of Arts and Sciences senior.

Daniel Pereira, the vice president of the Rutgers University Democrats, said he believes the referendum would not be on the ballot by November.

“But if it is on the ballot in November, I think the people of New Jersey will do the right thing and have New Jersey join the other states that allow same-sex marriage,” he said.

Christie also said that Senate and Assembly Democrats were engaging in political theater because they were already aware of his opposition to the bill, according to NJ.com.

“Extending equal protections for all people is absolutely not political theater,” Pereira said.

If the bill passes, New Jersey would join seven other states and one district in allowing same-sex marriage — Iowa, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Washington, Vermont, New York, Massachusetts and Washington, D.C.

About 54 percent of New Jersey voters support the legalization of same-sex marriage, while 53 percent of voters simultaneously favor Gov. Christie’s call for a referendum, according to a Feb. 13 Rutgers-Eagleton poll.

“It may be that given several polls showing majority support among voters, supporters of same-sex marriage think it would win in November,” said David Redlawsk, director of the Rutgers-Eagleton Poll, in a press release. “But in the face of a likely intensive campaign from opponents, this could be wishful thinking.”

Christine Cook, a Newport, N.J. resident, rallied in support of traditional marriage.

“Same-sex marriage is against God’s law and against natural law,” she said. “It doesn’t produce a family, and promotes disease and promiscuity.”

Michael Myers of Hamilton, N.J., said he was happy about the outcome of the Assembly meeting.

“I think Gov. Christie’s veto of the bill is going to be like a little blip in history,” he said.

 

Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly referred to David Redlawsk as Eagleton Institute of Politics Director.