From the
NY Times
The Massachusetts Legislature on Wednesday rejected a proposed constitutional amendment that sought to ban gay marriage but legalize civil unions, a year after the state performed the nation's first government-sanctioned same-sex weddings.
It was the second time the Legislature had confronted the measure, which was intended to be put before voters on a statewide ballot in 2006. Under state law, lawmakers were required to approve it in two consecutive sessions before it could move forward.
More on the flip:
After less than two hours of debate Wednesday, a joint session of the House and Senate voted 157-39 against the measure.
The moment the vote was announced, cheers erupted from gay marriage supporters who watched the proceedings from the House chamber's public gallery.
Sounds good, huh? But not so fast: Antigay groups in Massachusetts are already planning to short circuit the legislature and the Massachusetts courts by putting a citizen initiative on the ballot:
Opponents of gay marriage also declared victory, saying the defeat of the amendment paves the way for the launch of a second, more restrictive proposed amendment that would ban gay marriage and civil unions. The earliest that could get on the ballot in 2008.
''We're excited. We're pumped. This is great. This is exactly what we wanted,'' said Kris Mineau, president of the Massachusetts Family Institute.
And in the meantime, 6100 gay and lesbian couples have gotten married, held jobs, raised kids, mowed their lawns. Just like anyone else.
The state's highest court ruled in November 2003 that same-sex couples had a right under the state constitution to marry. The first weddings took place on May 17, 2004 -- two months after lawmakers began the process of trying to change the constitution to reverse the court's ruling.
Since then, more than 6,100 couples have married. However, Massachusetts barred out-of-state couples from getting married here, citing a 1913 law that prohibits couples from marrying in Massachusetts if their union would be illegal in their home states. A lawsuit challenging the legality of that law is pending before the Supreme Judicial Court.
We win in the courts. We win in the legislature. We win in our neighborhoods. If it goes on the ballot, we will win there.
To help, go to Mass Equality