Legal News

D.C. Passes Same-Sex Marriage Bill; Next Stop, Congress

By Ashby Jones

We feel for you, Washington, D.C. You’re like a rambunctious little child that nobody trusts. While you struggle to gain a vote in Congress (why won’t mommy and daddy listen to us?!), you also have to be governed by a Congress whose political temperament is often light years from your own (why won’t mommy and daddy leave us alone?!).

The latter issue was flagged for us on Wednesday while reading this NYT article on the District of Columbia’s decision to legalize same-sex marriage, making the nation’s capital the first jurisdiction below the Mason-Dixon Line to allow such unions.

"Today's vote is an important victory not only for the gay and lesbian community but for everyone who supports equal rights," said Councilman David A. Catania, an independent and the author of the bill.

Well, maybe.

While the bill passed by an 11-to-2 vote, it may still face obstacles in Congress — namely the House — which oversees D.C.’s budget. Both Republicans and conservative Democrats in the House are considering a variety of legislative methods to block the bill, including adding a rider to future appropriations bills.

And, according to the NYT, other opponents vowed to continue fighting. "The City Council's action today is not the final word," said Bishop Harry Jackson, pastor of Hope Christian Church in Beltsville, Md., and chairman of a group called Stand4MarriageDC.

Objections aside, most advocates of same-sex marriage say they expect it to become law by spring. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty has said he will sign the bill, and the current configuration of the House — Democrats outnumber Republicans 258 to 177 — will probably mean that the bill becomes law.

Full post as published by Law Blog - WSJ.com on December 16, 2009 (boomark / email).