Although the voters of New Hampshire handed the Republicans more power in November, the GOP leadership wants to steer clear of hot button social issues, but Christian legislators want repeal of the year-old legalization of same-sex 'marriage.'
For background, read Lawmakers Sustain Same-sex 'Marriage' and also read Same-sex 'Marriage' in New Hampshire Fails (in 2009)
UPDATE 3/22/12: Republican-controlled legislature overwhelmingly defeats repeal of same-sex "marriage" law
UPDATE 11/4/11: David Bates' repeal of same-sex "marriage" moving through House (replacement with civil unions law, with religious liberty clauses) - Marriage amendment push dropped
UPDATE 7/4/11: Repeal effort put off to next year
UPDATE 2/18/11: State House hearings scares liberals -- repeal odds favorable
UPDATE 2/1/11: Tea Party takeover pushes against 'gay marriage' and abortion
-- From "Gay marriage law could be repealed" by Cara Hogan, The Eagle Tribune 1/9/11
More than 1,000 couples have legally married their same-sex spouses in New Hampshire since Jan. 1, 2010, but the state's newly Republican-dominated Legislature wants to stop future marriages. Local as well as outside interests are getting ready for a long fight over the next year.
Rep. David Bates, R-Windham, has already filed two bills to return the marriage law to exactly what it was four years ago. His bill strictly defines marriage as between a man and a woman, but also has a caveat so marriages performed the past year would remain legal.
If Democratic Gov. John Lynch does veto the bill, the Legislature needs two-thirds of members present to override his veto.
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From "Text of gay marriage ban floated" by Shira Schoenberg, Concord Monitor staff 1/29/11
The bill's preamble states, "Marriage is not a creature of statute but rather a social institution which predates organized government." It says marriage serves "important social goods" in which government has an interest.
It continues, "The vast majority of children are conceived by acts of passion between men and women - sometimes unintentionally." Because of that, the bill states, the state has an interest in protecting the union of men and women to increase the likelihood that children will be born and raised by their natural parents.
Bates's bill lists the marriages that would be prohibited to all men and women. Besides same-sex partners, they include marriages to their children, aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews.
House Majority Leader D.J. Bettencourt said recently that repealing gay marriage is not a priority for House leadership, and he will ask the House Judiciary Committee to retain Bates's bill until 2012. The final decision will be up to the committee, which is led by Amherst Republican Rep. Robert Rowe. A public hearing has not yet been scheduled.
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