Delaware Governor on Marriage Equality: 'It Can Happen This Year'

With lawmakers in Delaware ready to consider a marriage equality law, the state's governor rallied college students this week to help add pressure on politicians.

"It can happen here in Delaware and it can happen this year," said Gov. Jack Markell, according to The News Journal, during a rally at University of Delaware Trabant. "If you promise to do your part, and to ensure that a marriage equality bill reaches my desk this year, I make a promise to you, I will sign it."

Meanwhile, state Republicans who oppose marriage equality are showing their disappointment with the state party's gay executive director, John Fluharty, who told the Washington Blade in March that he supports legalizing same-sex marriage. The Blade reports that Sussex County Republican leaders passed an amendment this week declaring that anyone hired by the Delaware GOP should line up in lockstep with their opposition. It said the party ""stands for traditional family values and all hired representatives of that organization shall publicly reflect that view."

So far, the Delaware GOP chairman hasn't disciplined Fluharty and has said instead that he was speaking only for himself, not the party.

Watch a portion of the governor's speech below via The News Journal.