BREAKING: Rhode Island House Approves Marriage Equality

[cali]

Rhode Island moved one big step closer to marriage equality today with the House approving the bill.

On Tuesday, it had moved out of committee for the first time in all of the previous attempts made during the last 11 years and went to the floor of the state House, where it passed 51-19 today, led by out House Speaker Gordon Gox and the bill's author Arthur Handy. But next up is what is still considered by many to be the law's greatest hurdle — the Senate.


Senate President M. Teresa Paiva Weed personally opposes marriage equality, but she has committed to allow a Senate committee to consider the House's bill and then for it to head to the full Senate should the committee lend its support.

Gov. Lincoln Chafee has said he will sign the bill. And Chafee helped to push the bill along by predicting he'd veto a competing idea that would have put marriage equality up for a public referendum. State Sen. Frank Ciccone has proposed doing just that and is hoping to gain traction needed for his alternative.

<snip>

http://www.advocate.com/politics/marriage-equality/2013/01/24/breaking-rhode-island-house-approves-marriage-equality

[Politicub]

1. Rhode Island rules!

Wtg!!

[shenmue]

2. Yay!

I can't wait to move back to the Northeast.

[redwitch]

8. You might want to wait until it warms up

on Monday.

[EastKYLiberal]

3. The times are a-changin'. nt

[NYC_SKP]

4. K/R! (nt)

[bigwillq]

5. Woo Hoo!

K and R

[progressoid]

6. Lincoln Chafee has said he will sign the bill

WTG Governor.

[SidDithers]

7. DURec for equal rights...nt

Sid

[sheshe2]

9. My Sister State....RI, you are Awesome.

K&R....from MA!!!!!!

[rocktivity]

10. CUE THE VONAGE THEME!

rocktivity

[AverageJoe90]

11. K & R.

Also, Lincoln Chafee rocks.

[Scurrilous]

12. K & R

[Nye Bevan]

13. I didn't realize they didn't already have it.

From CT, welcome aboard to RI!

[Terra Alta]

14. I thought they already had it

so, if this passes and is signed into law, doesn't that mean all the New England states will have marriage equality? Pretty awesome.

[iandhr]

15. Are the chances good in the Senate.

We should do a carrot and stick thing.

Pledge to support any Republican with the courage to vote yes. Primary any Dem who votes no.

[nick of time]

16. And the cracks in the dam continue to widen.

Expect to see more and more states embrace marriage equality now.
Hooray for R.I.

[Joey Liberal]

17. Proud to be from Rhode Island!

Yes!

[HappyMe]

18. k&r

[Earth495]

19. Hopefully

The RI Senate is full of fake Democrats so I'm cautiously optimistic about this.