New Hampshire follows Vermont

I blogged on Wednesday that it appeared that the state of Vermont seemed poised to pass legislation to legalize same-sex marriage. Yesterday, the state House in New Hampshire voted to make it the third state to allow gay couples to marry.

The bill passed 186-179 and will continue unto the Senate. Much like the State of Vermont (whose Governor Jim Douglas says he will veto the gay-marriage bill if it reaches his desk), the future of the legislation in New Hampshire is unknown. New Hampshire’s Democratic Governor John Lynch says he opposes gay marriage, but also hasn’t said that he would specifically veto it. Two years ago, the state legislation approved and Lynch signed a civil union law for gay couples, which provides all the legal rights of marriage, but does not call it “marriage”.

This week’s vote is the fruition of a long history of efforts in the state of New Hampshire. The first attempt to pass the bill fell one vote short, but opponents weren’t able to kill it. Eventually, the House reconsidered and passed the measure Thursday.

We’ll keep an eye on the state of Vermont and New Hampshire and keep you up do date in their latest efforts. Stay tuned!