Gay Marriage: New Jersey To Introduce New Bill – What Are Its Chances?

As their first legislative act in the new year, Democrats in New Jersey, in both Houses, will tomorrow introduce gay marriage bills that are reported to have strong support, yet face an assured veto from Republican Governor Chris Christie.

Via New Jersey.com:

“Steve Sweeney is the change,” said State Sen. Loretta Weinberg (D-Bergen), who confirmed Democrats would hold a news conference today announcing the bill will be their priority in the two-year session that begins Tuesday. “The Senate President. It’s not just Steve Sweeney the individual. It’s the Senate President who brings along votes with him.”

The Senate rejected a gay marriage bill in January 2010, with 20 voting no, 14 yes, and three abstaining – including Sweeney, who was not yet leader of the upper house. He has since called his non-vote a big mistake.

Gov. Jon Corzine, then a lame duck, had pledged to sign the measure leading to the 2010 vote. Some blamed its defeat on Corzine’s loss two months earlier to Republican Chris Christie, a gay marriage opponent.

In August of 2011, a PPP poll found a whopping 81% of New Jersey voters supported legal recognition of same-sex unions. A plurality of voters preferred same-sex marriage 47-42, when asked about marriage equality as a yes or no question, and preferred legal civil marriage over civil unions over when that component is added to the mix.

When asked. “Do you think same-sex marriage should be legal or illegal?,” voters chose legal 47% over illegal, 42%.

When asked if “gay couples should be allowed to legally marry, or gay couples should be allowed to form civil unions but not legally marry, or there should be no legal recognition of a gay couple’s relationship?,” voters picked marriage 41%, civil unions 40% and neither, 17%.

New Jersey, ironically, home to the notorious NOM, the National Organization For Marriage, is also home to a large Catholic population, almost half of which, according to a 2009 poll, support same-sex marriage.

Also in 2009, prior to the last failed vote, found that same-sex marriage would bring into the state $500,000,000 over three years.

It is not believed currently the New Jersey Legislature has the votes to override a veto by Christie, especially in a presidential election year. Then again, with same-sex marriage currently being used as a pawn by the GOP to rile up the base, it would be an incredibly empowering act by NJ Democrats to override a veto by the man currently stumping for the presumed GOP nominee.