Democratic governor Christine Gregoire has announced that next week she will introduce a bill to legalize same-sex marriage in the state of Washington. She said, ". . . it’s time, it’s the right thing to do, and I will introduce a bill to do it.”
Both legislative houses have strong Democratic majorities: Senate 38 to 18, House 65 to 33 -- although that does not guarantee passage.
Meanwhile, we await the decision of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on the lower court's declaration that Prop8 is unconstitutional, which could add California to the ranks of places gay people can marry: Massachusetts, Iowa, Connecticutt, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, and the District of Columbia. In addition, it is legal in two Indian Tribe jurisdictions in the Pacific Northwest.
And in Maryland, things are looking up. A gay marriage bill passed the state Senate last term but was put on hold in the House when it appeared there were not enough votes to pass it. However, since then, it has picked up momentum again with the passage of a similar bill in New York, and it now has the support of the Maryland governor.
Voters in Maine have gathered enough signatures to put a same-sex marriage bill on the ballot for November. But North Carolina and Minnesota are currently considering state constitutional amendments to ban gay marriage, and in New Hampshire there is a move to repeal their marriage equality law.
And, lastly, you have the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which the Obama administration will no longer defend in the courts -- but John Boehner and his Repubs in the House are using half a million in tax money to defend it. Apparently it's legal, but deplorable IMHO.
That's where we stand at the start of 2012.
Ralph
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