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Vermont legislature approves same-sex marriage law, overriding veto

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

[JURIST] The Vermont Legislature on Tuesday voted to override Governor Jim Douglas' veto of a bill legalizing same-sex marriage in the state. Both the House and Senate surpassed the two-thirds majority needed to override the veto, which Douglas executed Monday, with votes of 100-49 and 23-5, respectively. New Hampshire appears to be the next state to tackle the controversial issue, as the House of Representatives passed a bill legalizing same-sex marriage in March. With the override, Vermont becomes the fourth state to legalize same-sex marriage, joining Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Iowa, and the first state to do so through a vote of the legislature. California had allowed same-sex marriages until November 2008, when Proposition 8 passed 52-48. Vermont became the first state to offer civil unions to same-sex couples when then-Governor Howard Dean signed H.B.847 into law in April 2000.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on April 07, 2009 (boomark / email).