Marriage
On February 9, 2007, bill H275 was introduced to allow marriage for same sex couples and on July 25, 2007, Democratic House and Senate leaders in the state legislature announced the creation of a committee to study the issue of same-sex marriage. The committee reported in April 2008 but declined to make a recommendation. A bill that would allow same-sex couples to marry was introduced February 6, 2009.
On March 20, 2009, the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously recommended implementation of same-sex marriage, and the measure passed the State Senate on March 23, on a 26–4 vote. Governor Jim Douglas publicly announced his intention to veto the bill on March 25.
On April 1, 2009, the judiciary committee of the Vermont House of Representatives passed the bill 8–2 and sent the bill to the full House with several amendments. On April 3, the House passed the bill 95–52, five votes shy of a veto-proof majority.
On April 6, 2009, the Vermont Senate approved the amendments made by the House. The Senate then immediately presented the amended bill to the governor, who vetoed it.
On April 7, 2009, the veto was overridden by the Senate 23–5, and by the House 100–49, the first time since 1990 that a Vermont governor's veto was overridden. The law went into effect on September 1, 2009.
Read more about this topic: Same-sex Marriage In Vermont
Famous quotes containing the word marriage:
“What is any respectable girl brought up to do but to catch some rich man’s fancy and get the benefit of his money by marrying him?—as if a marriage ceremony could make any difference in the right or wrong of the thing!”
—George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950)
“Women hope men will change after marriage but they don’t; men hope women won’t change but they do.”
—Bettina Arndt (20th century)
“What is marriage but prostitution to one man instead of many?”
—Angela Carter (1940–1992)