Following tense and
emotional proceedings on the legislative floor, the
Vermont house voted 100-49 at 11 a.m. on Tuesday to override
Gov. Jim Douglas's veto of marriage-equality legislation.
After an earlier morning vote by the senate, 23-5, to override
the veto, the house vote makes Vermont the first state to
recognize marriage equality through the legislative process
without first being ordered to do so by the court.
The outcome of the
highly anticipated house vote remained uncertain until it
occurred. In the end, the 100 votes generated was the minimum
needed to meet the two-thirds majority requirement for the veto
override.
Marriage-equality
advocates hailed the milestone in Vermont, which was the first
state to create civil unions for same-sex couples in 2000.
"This historic vote
in the Vermont legislature reminds us of the incredible
progress being made toward equality," said Human Rights
Campaign president Joe Solmonese in a statement. "Less
than five years ago, lesbian and gay couples began marrying in
Massachusetts. Now, with the Iowa court decision last Friday
and today's vote in Vermont, there will be four states
recognizing the right to marry for loving, committed lesbian
and gay couples," he said.
House members who spoke
on the floor before the vote cited the "stress and
anger" that surrounded the same-sex marriage debate in
Vermont, with one noting the "disrespectful comments on
both sides." Another legislator, who voted not
to override the veto, called it "the most emotional and
passionate issue I've ever been involved in."
Gay and lesbian couples
may begin to marry in Vermont on September 1.
Click here to follow The Advocate on Twitter.
Page 1 of 1