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Maine governor signs same-sex marriage bill into law

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

[JURIST] Maine Governor John Baldacci on Wednesday signed into law a bill that will allow same-sex marriages to be performed in the state, making Maine the fifth state to allow same-sex marriage. On Tuesday, the Maine House of Representatives voted 89-57 in favor of the legislation, which followed last week's approval by the Maine Senate. The legislation got final approval by the legislature Wednesday before going before the governor. Baldacci said:In the past, I opposed gay marriage while supporting the idea of civil unions. I have come to believe that this is a question of fairness and of equal protection under the law, and that a civil union is not equal to civil marriage. Article I in the Maine Constitution states that "no person shall be deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law, nor be denied the equal protection of the laws, nor be denied the enjoyment of that person's civil rights or be discriminated against." This new law does not force any religion to recognize a marriage that falls outside of its beliefs. It does not require the church to perform any ceremony with which it disagrees. Instead, it reaffirms the separation of Church and State. It guarantees that Maine citizens will be treated equally under Maine's civil marriage laws, and that is the responsibility of government.Last week, the New Hampshire Senate voted 13-11 to approve a bill permitting same-sex marriage. The New Hampshire House of Representatives approved the bill in March by a vote of 186-179. The two differing versions of the bill must now be reconciled. If approved, Rhode Island would be the only New England state that does not allow same-sex marriage. Last month, Vermont became the fourth state to legalize same-sex marriage and the first to do so through a vote of the legislature, joining Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Iowa as the other states that allow same-sex marriage.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on May 06, 2009 (boomark / email).