Rhode Island is one of the few states that didn't pass a Defense of Marriage Act after Bill Clinton signed the federal DOMA back in 1996.

Now, because RI's Attorney General Patrick Lynch advised, in a nonbinding opinion, that out-of-state same-sex marriages performed in Massachusetts (or Canada or other nations where it is legal) should be recognized, the wingnuts have come out of the woodwork.

HB 6159, "An act relating to domestic relations - persons eligible to marry," says:



The bill was introduced by five Democrats: Representatives William San Bento (D - N. Prov/Pawtucket), Arthur Corvese (D - N. Prov), Peter Palumbo (D - Cranston), Jon Brien (D - Woonsocket), and Helio Melo (D - E. Prov).

New Mexico lawmakers returned to the Capitol on Tuesday, recalled by Gov. Bill Richardson to deal with several bills including domestic partner legislation that died when the legislature's session ended.

In 2003, Governor Bill Richardson issued an executive order providing state employees, both gay and straight, with the option of providing their partners health insurance through domestic partner coverage. Under the order, domestic partner coverage is not available to employees after they retire, while spousal coverage is provided.

Late last year Richardson, who is eyeing the Democratic nomination for President, joined LGBT activists in calling for a statewide domestic partner law that would provide the same benefits as marriage.

The measure passed the House but the Senate stripped out many of the bill's provisions, making it according to gay rights groups meaningless. When the revised bill returned the House the original language was restored but the session ended before the Senate could vote again.

[...]

On Saturday, Richardson will be the keynote speaker at a major event in Los Angeles sponsored by the Human Rights Campaign. The governor's office denies any link between the two.

Minority Whip Leonard Lee Rawson (R) doesn't buy it. Rawson said the session is "150 percent" about the partnership bill.

[...]

Rawson suggested the lawmakers may take up the two other measures and then adjourn without dealing with the partner bill.

In the first month that civil unions have been legal in New Jersey at least 219 same-sex couples have been united according to statistics released Tuesday by the state Health and Senior Services Department.

[...]

Garden State Equality, New Jersey's statewide LGBT rights group called the numbers released by the state Tuesday "extremely low" but added it was not surprised.

"There¹s a huge sense in the gay community that we¹re going to win full marriage equality here soon," chair Steven Goldstein told the New York Times.

"In the context of a civil rights movement, that means the next couple of years, given the momentum we have in the State Legislature. Couples are saying to themselves, ŒWe¹re going to get marriage anyway, why get civil unioned?" he said.

A bill to amend the civil union law and provide marriage has been filed in the legislature. Meanwhile, opponents of gay marriage are trying to get a proposed amendment on the ballot to ban gay marriage. Democrats in both houses have said they would not post a vote for a constitutional amendment that would undermine the rights of same-sex couples.

The New Mexico House has approved a domestic partner bill during a special session called by Gov. Bill Richardson.

[...]

Wednesday Republicans failed in an attempt to adjourn the House. The domestic partner bill - which covers same-sex couples and unmarried opposite-sex couples - passed on a 30 - 23 vote. The measure now goes to the Senate which so far is boycotting the special session.

South Carolina officially banned gay marriage Thursday as legislative leaders ratified a constitutional amendment approved by voters in November. New Hampshire, meanwhile, moved in the opposite direction, with a state House panel endorsing the creation of civil unions for same-sex couples.

[...]

Nearly four out of five South Carolina voters approved the amendment, which reads, "A marriage between one man and one woman is the only lawful domestic union that shall be valid or recognized in this state."

The state already had a law against same-sex marriages, but proponents said the amendment was needed to prevent judges from opening the door to civil unions, which offer gay couples the legal benefits of marriage but not the title.

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In New Hampshire, the House Judiciary Committee recommended the passage of civil unions Thursday by a bipartisan 15-5 vote.

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Gov. John Lynch opposes gay marriage but supports providing health care benefits to state workers' same-sex partners. He has not taken a public position on civil unions.

The new President of the Massachusetts Senate has announced she will not try to block a vote on a proposed amendment that would end same-sex marriage in the state. Therese Murray was elected by Senate Democrats on Thursday to replace former Sen. Robert Travaglini.

An opponent of the amendment, Murray said she would work with state LGBT civil rights groups to defeat the measure, but said she would not use her power to prevent the issue from coming to a vote.

To amend the state constitution a joint session of the House and Senate must approve a proposed amendment in two consecutive sessions of the Legislature then put the issue to voters. Only 50 votes in the joint session are needed for a proposed amendment to advance.

Ottawa Citizen In a landmark decision, a US court has ruled that gay couples who tie the knot in Canada can be treated as legally married in New York state.

The growing opposition by some of Indiana's largest employers to a proposed constitutional ban on same-sex marriages seems more rooted in the state's image than any legal concerns about the loss of domestic-partner benefits.

"This sends the message that Indiana is an intolerant state," Carla Cox, a spokeswoman for Eli Lilly and Co., said of the amendment. "That's going to impact our business, our recruitment and retention of employees."

Lilly, Central Indiana's largest private employer, on Wednesday became the fourth major Indiana company to announce its opposition to the amendment working its way through the Indiana legislature. Cummins, WellPoint and Dow AgroSciences also oppose the amendment.

CONCORD - A bid to outlaw gay marriage in New Hampshire went down in defeat yesterday.

The House voted 233-124 to quash a constitutional amendment that would have defined marriage between one man and one woman as the only legal union in the Granite State.

Chester Democrat Charlotte Lister said she was puzzled why same-sex marriage opponents "went to all the trouble" of trying to amend the state constitution. Lister counts herself among the people who do not see why granting legal status to same-sex unions will harm anyone else.

"We're all very sure the real issue here is homosexuals," Lister said. She was one of few Rockingham County lawmakers who voted to defeat the ban on gay marriage.

Emmis Communications Corp. today became the latest major Indiana employer to speak out against a proposed constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages.

...

"We believe the passage of this constitutional amendment will hurt our ability to recruit and retain a diverse workforce, and creates the damaging impression that we are not a welcoming and inclusive community," wrote Smulyan, a Democrat.

"I add Emmis' voice to the growing chorus of Indiana-based employers urging you to reject this proposal."

A proposed constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage failed to pass a key House committee Tuesday, and some lawmakers said the proposal is dead for this year.

The House Rules Committee voted 5-5 on a resolution supporting the amendment, with five Democrats voting against it and four Republicans and one Democrat voting for it. Since there was not a majority of votes for the resolution, the highly contentious measure that has stirred emotional debate for weeks failed to pass.

Committee Chairman Rep. Scott Pelath, D-Michigan City, said the emotional issue is over for this legislative session.

"I consider the matter dispensed with," Pelath said. "We took a vote and the matter is dispensed with."

Resolution sponsor Sen. Brandt Hershman, R-Wheatfield, agreed that the proposal appeared dead.

The breaks have been slammed on a bill to create civil unions in New Hampshire that was to have gone to a vote next Wednesday in the state Senate.

Senate President Sylvia Larsen (D) tells the Associated Press that she made the decision to put off the vote because "I didn¹t want the senators to be rushed when it came time to be voting."

No new date for a vote has been scheduled and some lawmakers are blaming the heavy hand of Gov. John Lynch (D).

Lynch has not stated his position on the bill. He already has said he opposes same-sex marriage.

[...]

Asked if Lynch had put pressure on her to put off the vote, the governor's spokesperson, Colin Manning, did not directly answer questions from the AP, saying only that "the governor is certain the Senate will give this bill thoughtful consideration."

[...]

Sen. Bob Clegg (R) voted against the bill in committee, but believes it would pass a full Senate vote was surprised when a reporter told him the vote had been postponed.

"Why would we fast-track the bill and then hold it? It has to be for purely political reasons," Clegg told the AP. "The only factor left is the governor."

Senate President Sylvia Larsen (D)... Gov. John Lynch (D)

Sold out by the Democrats *again*. Why am I not surprised?

Gov. John Lynch said Thursday he will sign legislation establishing civil unions for gay couples in New Hampshire.

"I believe it is a matter of conscience, fairness and preventing discrimination," Lynch told The Associated Press.

New Hampshire would become the fourth state to adopt civil unions, following Connecticut, Vermont and New Jersey. Massachusetts established gay marriage.

[...]

The Senate votes next week, and Lynch said he is confident the legislation will pass. It would authorize civil unions beginning next year.

(Hartford, Connecticut) In less than two weeks the Connecticut Supreme Court will hear arguments in a lawsuit by same-sex couples seeking the right to marry - but absent from the bench will be the chief justice, after declaring a possible conflict of interest.

Chief Justice Chase T. Rogers has recused herself because her husband's law firm prepared a friend-of-the-court brief in the case on behalf of a national LGBT civil rights organization.

The brief by Robinson & Cole was written for the Lambda Legal Defense Fund. Although it was not directly written by Rogers' husband, Edward O'Hanlan, he is a partner in the firm.

Robinson & Cole has 225 lawyers and offices in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New York.

The high court will hear the gay marriage case on May 14.

BOSTON - Gay marriage supporters won a huge victory this afternoon, with Massachusetts lawmakers voting to kill a proposed ballot question seeking to overturn a 2003 court decision that legalized same-sex unions.

Meeting in a joint constitutional convention, 151 lawmakers voted against putting a proposed ballot question seeking to ban gay marriage off the ballot.