New Hampshire voters in town meetings across the state are deciding this week whether or not they want the opportunity to vote on a constitutional amendment defining marriage, which could effectively overturn New Hampshire’s marriage equality law. While the results are non-binding, they are a barometer not to be ignored, and there are strong results in favor of allowing a vote.
New Hampshire’s Union-Leader reports,
“The results so far indicate a clear majority of Granite Staters want to vote on a constitutional amendment defining marriage, said state Rep. David Bates.”
“At this point, it’s clear the people want to vote,” Bates said. “It doesn’t mean (a constitutional amendment) is going to pass, but we shouldn’t make a decision for the people based on our speculation of whether it’s going to pass or not.”
“A supporter of same-sex marriage downplayed the results.
“State Rep. Jim Splaine, D-Portsmouth, said the wording of the resolution was vague, turnout was small, and most town voters had budgets and spending on their minds.
“This was really raw politics by those, mostly conservative Republicans, who want to dictate their agenda on the state,” Splaine said.”
In January, a statewide marriage equality law went into effect, and eight hundred couples have already been married.
Just two months ago in “Gay Marriage Under Attack In New Hampshire,” I wrote,
“Shortly after 5:00 PM on June 3, 2009, New Hampshire Governor John Lynch signed a gay marriage bill into law. Now, just three weeks after the law went into effect, New Hampshire Republican lawmakers are trying to get the law repealed, and trying to get a ban on same-sex marriage written into their state’s constitution.”
While the repeal is unlikely, the constitutional amendment, according to the Union Leader, seems to be gaining ground.
Unsurprisingly, yesterday, Maggie Gallagher of the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) wrote in The National Review, “New Hampshire Votes Against Gay Marriage.” Because it sounds like it’s already been decided, and facts don’t really matter to Maggie. (Or, as James Withers puts it, “Gallagher could have simply been forgetful with the truth.”)
Nevertheless, it’s important to remember that after we won marriage in Maine, we lost it after NOM spent a great deal of time and money (where do they get all that money?…) in that state.
Make no mistake, NOM is in many states and will not rest until they have infected voters with their hate.
Vigilance is key.
(image:CarbonNYC)