State Senate Democrats declined to vote on the 'gay marriage' bill as failure became apparent.
UPDATE 1/7/10: Senate votes down homosexual 'marriage' bill; homosexualists to file lawsuit giving NJ Supreme Court chance to negate will of voters
-- From "New Jersey Marriage Vote Canceled" by David Kocieniewski, New York Times 12/10/09
The sponsors, Senators Raymond J. Lesniak and Loretta Weinberg, both Democrats, withdrew the bill from the agenda in the Senate session, saying they wanted to first allow a hearing in the General Assembly, where support for same-sex marriage is believed to be stronger.
But opponents were outraged by the last-minute switch and accused Democrats of abusing their leadership positions to force a controversial issue through the Legislature during the waning days of the session. The bill was passed narrowly on Monday by a Senate committee.
Ms. Weinberg, of Bergen County, brushed aside accusations that the postponement was a tactical maneuver to avert defeat in the Senate, saying that the issue had generated so much public interest that residents deserved more time to give it thorough consideration.
The Assembly speaker, Joseph J. Roberts Jr., a Democrat from Camden, welcomed the chance to debate the bill, but said he was not certain when a hearing would be scheduled.
Gay rights activists are pressing to win legislative approval before Jan. 19 — when Gov. Jon S. Corzine, a Democrat who staunchly supports same-sex marriage, is replaced by Governor-elect Christopher J. Christie, a Republican who opposes the measure.
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From "Same-sex marriage advocates delay N.J. Senate vote" by Adrienne Lu and Jonathan Tamari, Philadelphia Inquirer Trenton Bureau 12/10/09
. . . several Democrats have come out in opposition to the measure, and others have remained publicly ambivalent, raising questions about its fate. Some gay-rights advocates are wary of a failed public vote, especially in the wake of recent same-sex marriage defeats in Maine and New York.
Assembly committees are not due back in Trenton until Jan. 7. Whether the measure begins to move then is up to Assembly Speaker Joseph J. Roberts Jr. (D., Camden).
Politically, Assembly lawmakers would be loath to tackle a potentially controversial issue only to see it fail in the Senate - thus so much focus in recent weeks on that chamber.
Democrats in New Jersey, a traditionally liberal state, have wavered on same-sex marriage since losing the governor's race in November.
If the bill is released by the Assembly Judiciary Committee, both the Assembly and the Senate could then vote on the bill. The Senate Judiciary Committee cleared the bill in a 7-6 vote after nearly eight hours of testimony and debate.
New Jersey has allowed civil unions for gay couples for nearly three years, but critics say the unions have failed to give gay couples the same protections offered by marriages, as required by a court ruling.
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