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New Hampshire to get civil unions

darkcrowdarkcrow Posts: 1,102
edited April 2007 in A Moving Train
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20070419/nh-civil-unions

N.H. Governor Says He'll OK Civil Unions
NORMA LOVE | AP | April 19, 2007 02:28 PM EST
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CONCORD, N.H. — Gov. John Lynch said Thursday he will sign legislation establishing civil unions for gay couples in New Hampshire.

"I believe it is a matter of conscience, fairness and preventing discrimination," Lynch told The Associated Press.

New Hampshire would become the fourth state to adopt civil unions, following Connecticut, Vermont and New Jersey. Massachusetts established gay marriage.

Lynch had previously declined to take a public position on civil unions, though has supported expanding health benefits to same-sex partners of state workers. He came under fire from both sides for not weighing in _ especially after a delay last week of the Senate vote on the House-passed bill.

The Senate votes next week, and Lynch said he is confident the legislation will pass. It would authorize civil unions beginning next year.

Fergus Cullen, the state Republican Party chairman, wasn't happy with the Democratic governor's decision.

"The Democrats are going too far, too fast, and Governor Lynch is going along with them," Cullen said. "These are not the actions of a moderate governor.

Democratic state Rep. Bette Lasky disagreed.

"It's never going too far when you give people their rights," she said, "and I honestly believe that the majority of people in this state want to do just that and do not want to discriminate."
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Comments

  • hippiemomhippiemom Posts: 3,326
    Good job, New Hampshire!
    "Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity." ~ MLK, 1963
  • surferdudesurferdude Posts: 2,057
    I wish they had gone one further and stopped granting marriage licenses all together. Be leaders and only grant civil unions. Make marriages a purely ceremonial process for churches.
    “One good thing about music,
    when it hits you, you feel to pain.
    So brutalize me with music.”
    ~ Bob Marley
  • desandrewsdesandrews Posts: 143
    surferdude wrote:
    I wish they had gone one further and stopped granting marriage licenses all together. Be leaders and only grant civil unions. Make marriages a purely ceremonial process for churches.

    Fucking-A! That's the way to go. I agree with this sentiment completely.
  • Uncle LeoUncle Leo Posts: 1,059
    surferdude wrote:
    I wish they had gone one further and stopped granting marriage licenses all together. Be leaders and only grant civil unions. Make marriages a purely ceremonial process for churches.

    (and other religious institutions).

    I'd be all for that. Acknowledge the utilitarian aspect to state marriage (or unions, rather) and let the religions marry how they wish in the eyes of god.
    I cannot come up with a new sig till I get this egg off my face.
  • surferdudesurferdude Posts: 2,057
    Uncle Leo wrote:
    (and other religious institutions).

    I'd be all for that. Acknowledge the utilitarian aspect to state marriage (or unions, rather) and let the religions marry how they wish in the eyes of god.
    Yes, the big thing is to leave the word marriage with the religious institutions.
    “One good thing about music,
    when it hits you, you feel to pain.
    So brutalize me with music.”
    ~ Bob Marley
  • callencallen Posts: 6,388
    surferdude wrote:
    I wish they had gone one further and stopped granting marriage licenses all together. Be leaders and only grant civil unions. Make marriages a purely ceremonial process for churches.
    thats the ticket..and first time I've hear it...cool.
    10-18-2000 Houston, 04-06-2003 Houston, 6-25-2003 Toronto, 10-8-2004 Kissimmee, 9-4-2005 Calgary, 12-3-05 Sao Paulo, 7-2-2006 Denver, 7-22-06 Gorge, 7-23-2006 Gorge, 9-13-2006 Bern, 6-22-2008 DC, 6-24-2008 MSG, 6-25-2008 MSG
  • normnorm Posts: 31,146
    surferdude wrote:
    I wish they had gone one further and stopped granting marriage licenses all together. Be leaders and only grant civil unions. Make marriages a purely ceremonial process for churches.
    Uncle Leo wrote:
    (and other religious institutions).

    I'd be all for that. Acknowledge the utilitarian aspect to state marriage (or unions, rather) and let the religions marry how they wish in the eyes of god.

    +1
  • mammasanmammasan Posts: 5,656
    surferdude wrote:
    I wish they had gone one further and stopped granting marriage licenses all together. Be leaders and only grant civil unions. Make marriages a purely ceremonial process for churches.

    Well said.
    "When one gets in bed with government, one must expect the diseases it spreads." - Ron Paul
  • surferdudesurferdude Posts: 2,057
    callen wrote:
    thats the ticket..and first time I've hear it...cool.
    I'm Christian and the idea of being married before God holds special meaning to me. But so does equal rights. This is one way I think both can be achieved. And if a gay couple can find a religious institution to marry them then good for them. Same for a man or woman who may want multiple spouses.
    “One good thing about music,
    when it hits you, you feel to pain.
    So brutalize me with music.”
    ~ Bob Marley
  • normnorm Posts: 31,146
    surferdude wrote:
    I'm Christian and the idea of being married before God holds special meaning to me. But so does equal rights. This is one way I think both can be achieved. And if a gay couple can find a religious institution to marry them then good for them. Same for a man or woman who may want multiple spouses.

    why can't all religious people think this way......:)
  • hippiemomhippiemom Posts: 3,326
    New Hampshire Senate Approves Civil Unions
    By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
    Published: April 26, 2007
    Filed at 12:23 p.m. ET

    CONCORD, N.H. (AP) -- A bill authorizing civil unions for gays cleared its last hurdle Thursday in New Hampshire, the first state to embrace same-sex unions without a court order or the threat of one.

    The Senate passed the bill 14-10, sending it to Gov. John Lynch, who announced last week he will sign it.

    "To me this legislation is a credit to our state. We're making this move not because some court some place is telling us that we must," said Democratic Sen. Joe Foster of Nashua. "We do so today because it is the right thing to do."

    The bill's success is an about-face from two years ago, when a study panel recommended giving no meaningful consideration to extending legal recognition to gay couples. That panel, staffed mostly by supporters of a ban on gay marriage, concluded that homosexuality is a choice and endorsed a constitutional amendment to limit marriage to unions between a man and a woman.

    Democrats won control of the Legislature last fall for the first time in more than a century.

    New Hampshire will join New Jersey, Connecticut and neighboring Vermont in offering civil unions beginning Jan. 1. Vermont and Massachusetts were the first states to offer civil unions and marriage, respectively, to same sex couples in 2000 and 2004. Both moves followed court decisions.

    New Jersey's civil unions also followed a court ruling. In Connecticut, a lawsuit challenging the state's marriage law was pending when lawmakers passed civil unions.

    There are no active court challenges of New Hampshire's marriage law. Two years in a row, lawmakers defeated proposed constitutional bans on same-sex marriage.

    Washington, Maine, California, New York and Washington D.C., recognize domestic partnerships. New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer this week pledged to introduce gay marriage legislation in the next few weeks.
    "Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity." ~ MLK, 1963
  • crittablescrittables Posts: 342
    surferdude wrote:
    I wish they had gone one further and stopped granting marriage licenses all together. Be leaders and only grant civil unions. Make marriages a purely ceremonial process for churches.


    i really like what you're saying here!
  • cincybearcatcincybearcat Posts: 16,492
    Good.
    hippiemom = goodness
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