New Jersey Senate Rejects Marriage Bill for Same-Sex Couples
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Posted: 01/07/2010 - 19:38
• The loss underscores that civil unions are not the equivalent of marriage
WASHINGTON – The Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization, today expressed disappointment with the New Jersey State Senate for its failure to pass legislation recognizing marriage equality for same-sex couples. The senate voted 14-20 against the bill. The bill had passed out of the Judiciary Committee by a 7 to 6 vote this past December.
“Today’s vote by the New Jersey Senate perpetuates a system of inequality in the Garden State,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. “Failing to provide loving, committed couples access to marriage leaves them separate and unequal – civil unions are not the same as marriage.”
“HRC provided tremendous help here on the ground, working with our staff and volunteers to push for marriage equality,” said Steven Goldstein, CEO of Garden State Equality. “While we’re disappointed by today’s vote, we’re thankful for the continued support of the Human Rights Campaign. This is not the end of the line. We will continue working towards marriage equality through lobbying, legal challenges, and citizen outreach. Every opportunity to highlight the inequalities experienced by same-sex couples brings us closer to our goal.”
At this time, five states recognize marriage for same-sex couples under state law: Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont, and New Hampshire. Five states—California, New Jersey, Oregon, Washington, and Nevada—plus Washington, D.C. provide same-sex couples with access to the state level benefits and responsibilities of marriage, through either civil unions or domestic partnerships.
Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Rhode Island and Wisconsin provide same-sex couples with limited rights and benefits. New York and Washington, D.C. recognize marriages of same-sex couples validly entered into outside of the jurisdiction.
California recognized marriage by same-sex couples between June and November of 2008, before voters approved Proposition 8, which purports to amend the state constitution to prohibit marriage equality. Couples married during that window remain married under California law, but all other same-sex couples can only receive a domestic partnership within the state. The state will recognize out of state same-sex marriages that occurred before November 5, 2008 as marriages and those that occurred on or after November 5, 2008 as domestic partnerships. The Proposition 8 vote has been challenged in federal court; a decision is not expected any time soon.
Same-sex couples do not receive federal rights and benefits in any state. For an electronic map showing where marriage equality stands in the states, please visit: www.HRC.org/State_Laws.
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