(Huge news! Thanks for all the details, Jim. - promoted by Dean Barker)
It was a good day for the cause of marriage equality in New Hampshire. But it's not over yet. We're going into our 9th month of working for marriage equality during this Legislative Session, but we still have a few days to go.
But Friday afternoon, the Legislative Committee of Conference on HB 73, which both the House and Senate agreed last week to create, met and after a two hour discussion has recommended passage of the bill.
The legislation includes language that Governor John Lynch requested which will put clearer protections for freedom of religion into our state statutes. The Governor has said that he will sign House Bill 436, which provides for marriage equality, if HB 73 is passed.
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The CoC approved added language to the original bill. It states "Each religious organization, organization, association, or society has exclusive control over its own religious doctrine, policy, teachings and beliefs regarding who my marry within their faith." That has always been the case in that religious organizations do have the right to set their own standards and requirements of membership and participation, but by making that even clearer in statute there is less likely to be any confusion. The separation of Church and State should be guaranteed, and HB 73 does that.
There was a request by opponents of HB 73 to create a "conscientious objector" provision allowing anyone who doesn't agree with same-gendered marriages to refuse any association with them, even if they don't work for or represent a religious organization. That attempt was rejected. New Hampshire civil rights statutes protect people from non-religious based discrimination.
Another effort was made to include a "non-binding referendum vote" in November, 2010, about whether to adopt marriage equality. That request was also refused.
The unanimous final vote for HB 73 came from all the members of the CoC, who were Senators Bette Lasky (D), Deb Reynolds (D), and Matt Houde (D), and Representatives Lucy Weber (D), Gary Richardson (D), Bob Thompson (D), and Tony DiFruscia (R).
The Committee of Conference report now goes back to the House and Senate for action this coming Wednesday, June 3rd. It is expected that Rep. Gary Richardson, who served as Chair of the CoC, and Rep. Tony DiFruscia, who had voted against HB 73 last week but now supports the bill, will present the report on the floor of the House.
The vote in the House will be very close, so please -- if they live in your area, call or write to the 25 House Democrats who voted against HB 73 last week on May 20th, http://www.gencourt.state.nh.u... or if your State Rep. is a Republican please contact them to let them know you support religious freedom and independence.
Go to the NH Freedom To Marry WEBSITE at http://nhftm.org/ to see other ways that you can help. The organization has been doing great work on this cause and needs donations and help.
Let's bring it home. Equality. 2009. We can do this.
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