UPDATE: New Jersey Passes Same-Sex Marriage Equality

UPDATE: 5:55 PM – There are now reports that one lawmaker’s voting button was broken, bringing the official vote count to 42-33. The text below has been changed to reflect this update.

 

The New Jersey Assembly at 4:45 PM today passed a same-sex marriage equality bill by a 42-33 margin. The Senate passed a companion bill earlier this week, so lawmakers will now submit the bill to Governor Chris Christie, who has vowed “swift action” to veto it. Lawmakers have until 2014 to override the Governor’s expected veto.

“Since Stonewall, we have been on a 40-year journey toward our freedom,” Garden State Equality Chair and CEO Steven Goldstein said in a statement. “Today, the legislature has brought us to the edge of the promised land. We know the Governor won’t let us enter, but we finally behold the view of our dreams and we will never turn back.”

“Today’s win in New Jersey is a joyous advance for committed gay and lesbian couples in the Garden State, for their families, and for the entire community,” said Evan Wolfson, founder and President of Freedom to Marry, also in a statement. “In 2006, the New Jersey Supreme Court unanimously held that the constitution’s command of equality meant that the protections and responsibilities of marriage could no longer be denied to gay couples. After experimenting with a separate civil union mechanism, today the Legislature took note that marriage matters, and equal means equal, and voted in favor of the freedom to marry.

“Sadly, Governor Chris Christie has planted his feet on the wrong side of history, and the wrong side of the majority for marriage in New Jersey and nationwide. If the governor sticks with his threat of a veto, Freedom to Marry will work throughout the entire remainder of the legislative session, supporting local families, leaders, and advocates as they make the case and win the extra handful of votes needed to override the veto and do right by these families.”

The Human Rights Campaign added:

The Marriage Equality and Religious Exemption Act passed the State Senate earlier this week by a bipartisan vote of 24-16. Governor Chris Christie has vowed to buck the will of the majority of New Jersey voters and the State Legislature by vetoing the legislation.

According to new polling from the Eagleton Center, 54 percent of New Jersey voters support marriage equality, an upswing of nearly ten points in two years.

“Today, the New Jersey State Legislature sent a powerful message that all its citizens should be treated equally under the law, and that all families deserve the same protections,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese. “Governor Christie may veto this legislation, but he is out of step with the majority of voters on this issue. We will not give up until marriage equality becomes a reality in New Jersey.”

“This victory is a victory for New Jersey families,” a statement by Rea Carey, Executive Director, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force reads. “It affirms what millions of people across the country already know – loving, committed same-sex couples and their families should be able to join in the celebration and responsibilities of marriage. This marks an important step in the Garden State’s march toward marriage equality. It has been a long journey of changing hearts and minds, of breaking down walls, and of shining a spotlight on our common humanity. Gov. Chris Christie should take a stand for families by signing this bill. Thank you to the Legislature for its support, and congratulations to Garden State Equality and all those working so hard for marriage equality in New Jersey.”

Stay tuned for more details!