News

Thursday February 18, 2010


New Hampshire House Kills Gay ‘Marriage’ Repeals

By Peter J. Smith

CONCORD, New Hampshire, February 18, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The New Hampshire House of Representatives voted down two measures Wednesday that would have overturned the state’s new gay “marriage” law.

The House voted 210-109 to kill HB 1590. The bill would have simply repealed the same-sex “marriage” law that passed in June and came into effect January 1 of this year.

The same body then shot down CACR 28, a proposed constitutional amendment that would have given New Hampshire citizens the opportunity to approve or reject same-sex “marriage” on the November ballot. The amendment stated: “The State shall only recognize as marriage, whether in name or effect, the union of one man and one woman.”

The House rejected the amendment by a vote of 201-135. A three-fifths majority would have been necessary to pass the bill and hand it up to the Senate for approval.

The amendment’s sponsors tried to delay a vote until March 17, by which time voters would have been able to express their views through petitions at town hall meetings.

“All we’re trying to do here is put this on the ballot,” said Republican Rep. David Bates, according to the Concord Union Leader.

The House rejected Bates’ efforts for delay by a vote of 191 – 148.

Kevin Smith, executive director of the conservative Cornerstone Policy Research, told the Boston Globe after both measures were rejected Wednesday that snubbing the bills would likely invite voter backlash.

“It is quite clear that this Legislature is just completely out of touch with the will of the people, who want to the right to have their say on the issue of gay marriage,” Smith said.

“The bottom line though is they are going to get their say at the ballot box this November when they get to elect new officials who represent their interests and not those of the far left lobby.”

New Hampshire is the fifth state where same-sex “marriage” is effective law. The other states are Iowa, Vermont, Connecticut, and Massachusetts.

So far, 31 states have voted to preserve the definition of marriage as the union of a man and a woman. Every state where same-sex “marriage” has been put to a popular vote has seen it voted down.

Both California and Maine had created a form of legal same-sex “marriage” until voters intervened to reject it at the ballot box.

See related coverage by LifeSiteNews.com:

“Catholic” Politicians Who Support Gay “Marriage” are Not Catholic: Italian Cardinal

New Hampshire Same-Sex “Marriage” Law in Crosshairs after Maine’s Law Crumbles

“Same Sex Marriage Harms Children’s Rights” Marriage Symposium Hears

The Case Against Same-Sex Marriage