Voters in Maine, Maryland, and Washington will be glad to learn that their votes to extend civil marriage to same-sex couples comes with the added benefit of boosting their state economies. The Williams Institute, a leading think tank based in UCLA’s School of Law estimates that combined, $166 million will be spent in those three states over the next three years, thanks to an estimated 18,000 gay and lesbian couples marrying.
“Wedding-related spending for in-state couples is expected be about $16 million in Maine, $63 million in Maryland and $89 million in Washington,” the Seattle Times reports:
The estimates do not include out-of-state same-sex couples that travel to those states to marry.
Lee Badgett, research director at the institute and an economics professor at the University of Massachusetts, says the additional spending will create new jobs and boost tax revenues.
Image by Jeff Belmonte
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