New Hampshire Lawmakers Vote To Uphold Gay Marriage Law

Two hours of debates and 10 votes later was all it took for the New Hampshire House on Wednesday to decide on keeping the state’s same-sex marriage law in place.

That law remained after several amendments were shot down along with a motion to table the bill. At the end of the day House members killed House Bill 437 with a vote of 211-116. The bill specifically asked that the states same-sex law be repealed and replaced with a more traditional heterosexual only stance.

Speaking about the need to put the bill down Rep. Michael Ball (R-Manchester) said:

“These folks are just people just like you are, they want the same things you do. This bill needs to be put down. Put this dog down like it deserves to be.”

Supporters of the repeal bill argued that it was meant to simply provide a “traditional definition of marriage between one man and one woman.”

Rep. Warren Groen (R-Rochester) in response to that train of thought noted:

“Who is next in line? The animal lovers can’t be too far behind. Once you open the word to redefinition, it’s open to redefinition. We are indeed on a slippery slope, and we are indeed at the edge of the cliff.”

If the bill had passed it would not have made it beyond the desk of Gov. John Lynch who promised to veto the bill the moment it reached his office.

The bill comes after New Hampshires long fight to gain equality for all citizens. In 2007 and 2009 civil unions were given a push in the states and then on Jan. 1, 2010 gay marriage was approved.

In the meantime the bill has sparked fundraising on both sides of the issue. The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) says it will aim to raise $250,000 which will be used for television commercials and candidate donations for any politician in favor of repealing the law. On the other side The New Hampshire Republicans for Freedom and Equality political action committee (PAC) has promised $100,000 to Republican leaders who continue to stand up for the rights of gay couples throughout the state of New Hampshire.

Under New Hamsphire law 1,906 same-sex couples have been wed.

Do you think New Hampshire opponents to the same-sex marriage law will ever succeed in having the same-sex marriage bill repealed or are they just wasting taxpayer time and money?