[Gay marriage] opponents began a grass-roots effort to challenge the law indirectly by suggesting that New Hampshire’s 400 House members and 24 senators are not representative of the people’s wishes.
UPDATE 2/9/10: Democrats in legislature buck grassroots
-- From "Opponents of gay marriage hope for repeal in N.H." by Norma Love, Associated Press (posted at Boston Globe) 1/20/10
Opponents know their chances of success are slim at this point, but they are looking to the November election, hoping that Republicans will regain control of the State House and succeed in repealing the law.
Right now, Democrats are firmly in charge and appear eager to dispose of gay marriage and other controversial measures early in the session to avoid lingering debate in an election year.
[Traditional marriage supporters] plan to raise the issue at town meetings this spring in hope of passing nonbinding resolutions that will pressure lawmakers to present them with an amendment that defines marriage. They also hope their effort will help in November to elect candidates opposed to same-sex marriage.
State Representative David Bates, a Republican from Windham, is organizing the petition effort to put gay marriage before town voters. He said yesterday that petitions have been certified in 108 towns. He expects petitions to be completed by a Feb. 2 deadline in about 150 of New Hampshire’s more than 200 towns that hold meetings each spring.
New Hampshire’s law legalizing gay marriage took effect Jan. 1. New Hampshire joined Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, and Vermont in allowing the unions.
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