A decade in the making, Vermont's legalization of same-sex marriage just seems sudden to a few stunned folk there. The Senate there approved the bill with a huge majority of its 30 members.
This week in the House, the same process of a Judiciary Committee hearing followed by three readings and votes on advancing the bill have started. Everyone there expects it to pass the 150 member body by next week.
The big lump in the road is then Gov. Jim Douglas. He has been playing coy and will probably regret forcing all eyes and ears on him as he clumsily handles his role. He pulls the emotional ploy of saying he believes marriage is between a man and a woman, but he won't say whether he'll sign or veto the bill. He also has the option of letting it sit and become law without his signature.
So far no one seems to have any projections on whether there will be enough votes in the House to override a veto. The state requires two-thirds of each house for an override — 20 in the Senate and 100 in the House.
SSM in the Green Mountain State has been discussed by the legislators and public since 1999 when the state debated passing civil unions, which it did in 2000. They have continued to talk about it, particularly after Massachusetts, Connecticut and California (briefly) legalized SSM. Vermont has had study commissions and several series of hearings. While a few anti-gay and anti-SSM folk are now saying this Senate vote was suddenly sprung on the public, it could not be less true.
The Senate hearings last week led to a moving report on the bill by sponsor Sen. John Campbell. By his description, he is a fairly conservative, Roman Catholic Democrat. He spoke powerfully of coming to the realization of what is fair, legal and loving.
One of the local papers, the Burlington Free Press, put the rest of the state's media in its shadow with coverage. It live-streamed the hearing, the debates and the votes, as well as providing analysis. Also, the Vermont Freedom to Marry site has links and video clips of testimony, including current coverage of the House process. It will well worth clicking around both sites, particularly for the testimony.
The Marry in Massachusetts blog as a series of posts on the recent process. These include:
- Green Mountain Marriage...Maybe provides background including Bay Windows coverage and links to clips.
- Delusional in Vermont details the remarks of the most adamant opponents.
- No MIddle Ground in Vermont digests testimony from the hours of pro/con remarks of voters.
- SSM Bill Vote LIkely Tomorrow is a short including the Free Press reporter's projection that Douglas won't sign the bill, but may or may not veto it.
- Vermont OKs SSM Bill to Full Senate has a link to the Free Press coverage.
- New England on SSM Edge links to contemporary SSM movement in Maine and New Hampshire.
- Vermont Closing in on SSM describes the rest of the legislative process for this bill.
It is certainly looking like the equality side's call for 6 by 12 — all six New England states having SSM by 2012 is quite possible.
Many have noted the irony of Vermont leading the nation with the first civil unions, only to retrench and push back for nearly a decade on full marriage equality. As they so often say of New Englanders, when they're ready, they're ready.