Bless 'em, a few minutes ago (5:20 p.m. Eastern), N.H. Gov. John Lynch signed same-sex marriage into law. He and the House tossed it back and forth until they had nothing left to compromise on.
As expected, today was the final legislative passage of compromise wording on one bill, wording to add fairly absurd rights for wedding-related businesses to turn down working on ceremonies of homosexual couples based on conscience. Those are lawsuits just waiting to happen.
That makes four of six New England states for equality — Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont and New Hampshire. Maine sort of is, having passed SSM, but staying it while the anti-gay forces try to repeal it through a plebiscite. Only Rhode Island is in limbo, waiting for the staunchly anti-homosexual governor to run out another two years of his final term.
In the end, N.H. is a testament to the future of SSM in the country. Assuming the actions pushing a federal suit to force marriage equality go nowhere, such state-by-state, states-rights based decisions will erode the amendments and laws forbidding homosexuals marrying.
In this case, the governor wanted it all ways.
Although nominally a Democrat, he really seems an opportunist. Up
there, they elect a governor every two years and have no term limits.
Only crimes, boneheaded decisions or boredom would drive one from
office. Lynch seems to have figured he could pretend to simultaneously
support pro- and anti-SSM forces. It looks like he has pissed off the
former and annoyed the latter. I'm sure he can sell real estate or
insurance.