House committee approves same-sex marriage bill
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) - A measure to legalize same-sex marriage in Washington state was approved Monday by a House committee, and the Senate is expected to vote on its companion bill within days.
Sen. Ed Murray, a Seattle Democrat who is sponsoring one of the bills, said Monday that he expects a floor vote on gay marriage in the Senate on Wednesday. A Senate committee voted to approve Murray's bill Friday.
The House Judiciary committee approved its companion gay marriage bill on Monday on a 7-6 party line vote.
Three Republican amendments were rejected, including on one that would have added private businesses and individuals, such as bakers and photographers, to the religious exemption in the bill that doesn't require religious organizations or churches to perform marriages, and doesn't subject them to penalties if they don't marry gay or lesbian couples.
Opponents of same-sex marriage have already promised a referendum battle at the ballot if the Legislature passes the bill and it's signed into law.
Before last week, it wasn't certain the Senate would have the support to pass the measure, due to a handful of undecided Democrats. But on Monday, after the first public hearing on the issue, a previously undecided Democratic senator, Mary Margaret Haugen of Camano Island, announced that she would be the 25th and deciding vote in support of the measure, all but ensuring its passage.
The state House already had secured enough votes to pass the measure, and Democratic Gov. Chris Gregoire publicly endorsed the proposal earlier this month.
The gay marriage bills have the backing of several prominent Pacific Northwest businesses, including Microsoft, Nike and Starbucks.
If a marriage bill is passed during this legislative session, gay and lesbian couples will be able to be wed starting in June unless opponents follow through on their threat to file a referendum to challenge it.
A referendum can't be filed until after the bill is passed by the Legislature and signed into law by Gregoire. Opponents then must turn in 120,577 signatures by June 6.
Same-sex marriage is legal in New York, Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and the District of Columbia.
Lawmakers in New Jersey and Maryland are expected to debate gay marriage this year, and Maine could see a gay marriage proposal on the November ballot.
The Maine Legislature previously approved gay marriage, but it was rejected by a 2009 statewide vote, 53 percent to 47 percent.
Washington state has had a domestic partnership law since 2007 and an "everything but marriage" expansion of the domestic partnership law since 2009.
Under the bills being considered by the Legislature, the more than 9,300 couples currently registered in domestic partnerships would have two years to either dissolve their relationship or get married. Domestic partnerships that aren't ended prior to June 30, 2014, would automatically become marriages.
Domestic partnerships would remain for senior couples where at least one partner is 62 years old or older. That provision was included by lawmakers in 2007 to help seniors who don't remarry out of fear they could lose certain pension or Social Security benefits.
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The gay marriage bills are Senate Bill 6239 and House Bill 2516.
Sen. Ed Murray, a Seattle Democrat who is sponsoring one of the bills, said Monday that he expects a floor vote on gay marriage in the Senate on Wednesday. A Senate committee voted to approve Murray's bill Friday.
The House Judiciary committee approved its companion gay marriage bill on Monday on a 7-6 party line vote.
Three Republican amendments were rejected, including on one that would have added private businesses and individuals, such as bakers and photographers, to the religious exemption in the bill that doesn't require religious organizations or churches to perform marriages, and doesn't subject them to penalties if they don't marry gay or lesbian couples.
Opponents of same-sex marriage have already promised a referendum battle at the ballot if the Legislature passes the bill and it's signed into law.
Before last week, it wasn't certain the Senate would have the support to pass the measure, due to a handful of undecided Democrats. But on Monday, after the first public hearing on the issue, a previously undecided Democratic senator, Mary Margaret Haugen of Camano Island, announced that she would be the 25th and deciding vote in support of the measure, all but ensuring its passage.
The state House already had secured enough votes to pass the measure, and Democratic Gov. Chris Gregoire publicly endorsed the proposal earlier this month.
The gay marriage bills have the backing of several prominent Pacific Northwest businesses, including Microsoft, Nike and Starbucks.
If a marriage bill is passed during this legislative session, gay and lesbian couples will be able to be wed starting in June unless opponents follow through on their threat to file a referendum to challenge it.
A referendum can't be filed until after the bill is passed by the Legislature and signed into law by Gregoire. Opponents then must turn in 120,577 signatures by June 6.
Same-sex marriage is legal in New York, Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and the District of Columbia.
Lawmakers in New Jersey and Maryland are expected to debate gay marriage this year, and Maine could see a gay marriage proposal on the November ballot.
The Maine Legislature previously approved gay marriage, but it was rejected by a 2009 statewide vote, 53 percent to 47 percent.
Washington state has had a domestic partnership law since 2007 and an "everything but marriage" expansion of the domestic partnership law since 2009.
Under the bills being considered by the Legislature, the more than 9,300 couples currently registered in domestic partnerships would have two years to either dissolve their relationship or get married. Domestic partnerships that aren't ended prior to June 30, 2014, would automatically become marriages.
Domestic partnerships would remain for senior couples where at least one partner is 62 years old or older. That provision was included by lawmakers in 2007 to help seniors who don't remarry out of fear they could lose certain pension or Social Security benefits.
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The gay marriage bills are Senate Bill 6239 and House Bill 2516.
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