Conservatives press for gay marriage ban in NJ

[WillParkinson]

Conservatives press for gay marriage ban in NJ

(Trenton, New Jersey) A coalition of socially conservative groups is pressing the New Jersey legislature to ask voters in 2010 to amend the state constitution to bar same-sex marriage.

The call came as Maine became the fifth state to legalize same-sex marriage and a similar bill in New Hampshire passed the legislature.

New Jersey lawmakers would have to approve a constitutional amendment in each of two consecutive years in order to put the question to voters. So far, the Democratically-controlled legislature has rebuffed calls to advance the proposed amendment.

But the legislature also has stalled on taking up a bill that would allow same-sex couples to marry.

In 2006, the state Supreme Court ruled same-sex couples must have all the rights of marriage.

The Court gave the New Jersey State Legislature 180 days to act on the decision to grant same-sex couples the rights and benefits enjoyed by different-sex married couples, but left it up to the legislators to decide whether to call it marriage or civil unions.

The legislature opted for civil unions. But that, said civil rights groups, amounted to separate but equal.

http://www.365gay.com/news/conservatives-press-for-gay-marriage-ban-in-nj/

[JackBeck]

1. Yeah, good luck with that.

We have solid marriage equality support in the Assembly and are down two to three votes in the Senate. These Cons are living in opposite land, but that tends to go without saying.

Every LGBT person and our supporters in NJ need to contact not only their own reps, but especially Sarlow, who chairs the Judiciary, and put pressure on them to get this bill out of the committee for a full vote in front of the legislature.

[donco6]

2. Let them waste their money.

It just makes them look all the more backward.

[Kcoll]

3. Opponents of legal same-sex marriage have lost the argument.

As more people are realizing that there is no valid reason to deny a same-sex couple a marriage license, its legalization is spreading, and will continue to do so.

[LeftHander]

4. An amazing waste of time, conservatives are.

The stupidity is breath taking and vomit inducing.

[GodlessBiker]

5. If a NJ "civil union" isn't portable when a couple moves to NY, then the couple...

has not been given "all the rights of marriage" a married couple in NJ coming to NY would have, as required by the NJ Supreme Court.

[JackBeck]

6. Garden State Equality is asking ALL NJ supporters to call these 4 Senators today:

Starting at 9:30 am, we ask each of you, no matter where in New Jersey you live, to call the 4 legislators listed below to tell their offices: "The New York Assembly just passed marriage equality. I support marriage equality for New Jersey and I don't want to wait until the end of the year for a legislative vote in New Jersey. I want equality for our state now."

You can put that in your own words - whatever expresses your passion. Your calls these past months have brought us to edge of having enough legislative votes to pass marriage equality in New Jersey. Please, let's keep the heat on! Here's whom you should call today starting at 9:30 am:

Senate President Dick Codey at [phone]

Senate Majority Leader Steve Sweeney at [phone]

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Paul Sarlo at [phone]

Senate Judiciary Committee Vice Chairman John Girgenti at [phone]

If you’re told by the office you’re not a constituent: “I’m calling your office because the Senator holds a leadership position that impacts the entire state.”