On Monday, the Washington state House Judiciary Committee voted 7–6 along party lines to send a marriage-equality bill to the floorfor a vote. A Senate committee voted similarly last week, according to the Seattle Post Intelligencer.
Gov. Chris Gregoire
The Senate has scheduled a floor vote for Wednesday, and a majority have already announced they’ll vote for the bill. Supporters say House passage is also assured. Gov. Christine Gregoire supports equality.
Washington is a referendum state so once the bill passes and the governor signs, the opposition will have until June to collect 120,557 valid signatures to put the issue on the November ballot.
If marriage equality becomes law, Washington will be the seventh state to perform same-sex marriages. The state already has domestic partnerships.
Two additional states — Maine and California — passed marriage equality before voters rescinded it.
California voters rescinded the law with the help of millions and millions of dollars of misleading ads placed by out of state interests (the Mormon Church-to be specific). The prop 8 ban was then overturned, and found to be discriminating. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=california%20gay%20marriage&source=web&cd=3&sqi=2&ved=0CFYQFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fabcnews.go.com%2FPolitics%2Fcalifornia-gay-marriage-ruling-due-appeal-expected%2Fstory%3Fid%3D11322255&ei=l1AoT7HbOuGeiQL-3YWiAQ&usg=AFQjCNFl47T7_PiLnsEHle9pnazqQxKy1g
Joanne: Of course Prop 8 was ruled unconstitutional but you still cannot get married in California as a result of a voter initiative. Not until the Appeals Court rules and then that ruling is appealed to the Supreme Court will same sex couples be able to marry in California, should all of those rulings be on the side of equality.
The final line of your article made it sound as if it was a done issue, rescinded, done. I wanted to point out that it is far from done and buried.
We will undoubtedly be faced with the same challenges here in Washington, but it is still a great starting point for our state!