April 19, 2007
Spousal Unions In New Hampshire
Updated: Lynch tells the AP he'll sign the bill if it passes the Senate.
According to New Hampshire Public Radio, the state senate has scheduled a vote on civil unions (or "spousal unions," as NH calls them) for next Thursday, ending a suspensful two week period where the state house passed hill appeared to be in limbo. This being New Hampshire and civil unions being a major cultural trigger point, here's a brief closer look.
Lynch has stratospheric approval ratings. He opposes gay marriage. It's unclear whether he thinks "spousal unions" are equivalent to state-sanctioned marriage -- too equivalent, that is. Privately, NH Dems say that he has indicated that he will sign the bill into law if it passes the Senate.
Pro-spousal union forces hoped that the Senate, led by Sylvia Larson, a major Hillary Clinton supporter, would schedule a vote on the legislation immediately after it passed the state house in early April. It appeared as if the vote would take place last Friday; it was delayed.
A few theories:
1.Lynch doesn't want the civil unions bill to define his legacy, and so he's hoping it wil get passed amid a cacophany of other bills. At the very least, he didn't want it to be the first bill that he signed.
2. Lynch doesn't want to risk his political capital on the bill.
3. Lynch wants the state senate to pass his constitutional amendment dealing with education and the civil unions bill is stuck amid the wheeling and dealing.
Lynch has three options when the bill comes to his desk: sign it, veto it, or let it become law without affixing his signature to it.
Remember: Howard Dean signed Vermont’s Civil Union bill in the middle of the night without any fanfare. President Clinton signed the Defense of Marriage bill under similar circumstances. [MARC AMBINDER]
Posted at 08:46 AM
Comments
Sylvia LarsEn is NOT an announced supporter of Hillary Clinton. Where did you come up with that one.
Nick | 04.19.07 12:44 PM
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Howard Dean signed Vermont’s Civil Union bill in the middle of the night without any fanfare.
Uh, no.
Did he sign it in private and without a ceremony? Yes.
Why? Only 40% of Vermont residents supported the bill.
Did he sign it in the middle of the night? No. He signed it at 1:30 pm.
And while you're being snarky, let's remember Dean got so many threats for signing it that he had to wear a bulletproof vest and his children's safety was threatened.
Corinne | 04.19.07 12:54 PM
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