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Article IndexFloor vote expected Thursday
BY TOM HESTER SR.
NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM
After nearly nine hours of testimony and debate the state Senate Judiciary Committee Monday night narrowly approved legislation that would legalize same-sex marriage in New Jersey.
The panel voted 7 to 6 in support of the measure, the Freedom of Religion and Equality in Civil Marriage Act, at 10:07 p.m. and sent to the full Senate for a floor vote on Thursday.
The vote was met with loud applause and cheers by most of the people in the hearing room.
Voting in favor of the proposal were Sen. Bill Baroni (R-Mercer), Sen. Nia Gill (D-Essex), Sen. Raymond Lesniak (D-Union), a co-sponsor of the measure, Sen. Nicholas Scutari (D-Union), Sen. Bob Smith, (D-Middlesex), Sen. Brian Stack (D-Hudson), and Sen. Loretta Weinberg (D-Bergen), the other co-sponsor. Voting in opposition were Sen. Paul Sarlo (D-Bergen), Sen. John Girgenti (D-Passaic), Sen. Christopher Bateman (R-Somerset), Sen. Jennifer Beck (R-Monmouth), Sen. Gerald Cardinale (R-Bergen), and Sen. Joseph Kyrillos (R-Monmouth).The hearing at the Statehouse Annex in Trenton grew testy at times as committee members and proponents and opponents of the legislation snapped at each other. At one point, Cardinale called a lawyer who was testifying a liar and moments later Gill, an attorney, apologized on behalf of the panel.
Proponents and opponents of the bill on the committee agreed to end public testimony at 9:10 p.m. Testimony began at 2:28 p.m.
"We have heard the stories and understand the frustration and pain,'' Sarlo, the committee chairman, said.
"We have had nine hours of incredibly, passionate, and comprehensive testimony,'' Lesniak said.
Cardinale said he has been in the Legislature almost 30 years and "never attended a hearing where more people were allowed to testify.''
If the proposal is approved by the upper house, it would move to the Assembly where proponents hope to see it approved in time for Gov. Jon Corzine to approve before leaving office on Jan. 19.
The same-sex marriage bill, S-1967, would grant full marriage equality to same-sex couples, while maintaining the freedom of religious institutions to sanction marriage of their choice. Sixty days after the bill would take effect, all same-sex couples involved in New Jersey civil unions would be considered legally married.
The committee approved an amendment proposed by Baroni that would ensure that no religious organization can be sued or penalized for denying to hold or provide space for a same-sex wedding. Baroni called the amendment "the most far-reaching religious protection amendment in the country.''
The panel voted to table a proposed amendment by Cardinale to place the same-sex marriage issue up for a public referendum on the November 2011 ballot.
Different versions of legislation that has attempted to provide rights to gay couples have been debated in Trenton for seven years.
If approved as expected by Corzine, New Jersey would become the fifth state to legalize same-sex marriage.
Same-sex marriage is legal is Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, and Vermont. It will become legal in New Hampshire on Jan. 1. Last week, the District of Columbia council voted in favor of same-sex marriage and the New York Senate defeated the proposal.
The federal government is prohibited from recognizing same-sex marriage by the Defense of Marriage Act.
Proponents of the legislation argued that same-sex marriage should be considered as a guaranteed right under the state constitution.
