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(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.
A Committee of Conference has been appointed by the House Speaker and Senate President on House Bill 73, the legislation that has language which Governor John Lynch has requested to protect religious freedom and independence. The CoC includes Senators Bette Lasky (D), Deb Reynolds (D), and Sheila Roberge (R), and Representatives Lucy Weber (D), Gary Richardson (D), Bob Thompson (D), and Tony DiFruscia (R).
It is traditional that Committees of Conference are made up of members of the Legislative Committees to which a bill had been sent. All members on this CoC are on the House or Senate Judiciary Committees.
The first meeting of the HB 73 CoC will be Friday in room 104 of the Legislative Office Building at 1:30 PM. All meetings of a Committee of Conference are open to the public. Some such Committees hold one meeting and that's it; others have several meetings over the course of several days, and even longer. The first time the HB 73 CoC could report back to the House and Senate with a recommendation is next Wednesday, June 3rd. It is possible that a report could wait until the Wednesday, June 10th Legislative Session day.
Let's keep in mind two important facts: FACT 1: House Bill 73 is NOT an amended version of the marriage equality bill, nor does it "amend" HB 436. House Bill 436 has passed the House and Senate, and awaits on the Senate President's desk before moving onto the Governor's Office. That is a normal procedure at this point of a Legislative Session depending on whether related bills need to "catch up" in the process, so that they can then be given to the Governor together. HB 436 IS the marriage equality bill, and it is stand-alone legislation that creates the process of same-gendered couples being able to be married.
House Bill 310, a short bill, has also passed the House and Senate, and is accompanying HB 436 eventually because it makes small changes to statute concerning marriage procedures. It too is not an "amendment" to HB 436, but instead affects separate statutory language. All together, our marriage laws cover dozens of pages of state laws.
HB 73 is not a long bill. It is about a page long, and has specific protections for religious groups, Churches, and those who are employed by them from having to be engaged in marriage ceremonies which they don't wish to be. It is, quite essentially, a way to more clearly state the protections of religion which are already written into our Constitution and other state laws. It is in part based on the Connecticut marriage equality legislation recently passed in that state.
(The amendment's language is printed in full at the end of the piece. - promoted by Jennifer Daler)
We're down to the wire on passing marriage equality, which if we can make this work is going to help tens of thousands of New Hampshire citizens who for decades have had to put up with inequality, plus the intolerance that we have faced in many ways.
Governor John Lynch took a big step last week in coming down on the side of marriage equality. He will sign House Bill 436 if we put into another part of state law an additional and clearer protection of the independence and freedom of religious organizations and Churches. His language follows some wording of Connecticut's marriage equality legislation, as well as Vermont.
The language will appear as an amendment onto House Bill 73, which will come in from the Senate. We'll see it in final form after the Senate Judiciary Committee considers it tomorrow, but it follows the wording that the Governor requested last week. I have included his news release, and the draft language being offered by Senator Deb Reynolds.
I have added comments about HB 436, and the Governor's requested language, from our friends of marriage equality. We can put this issue behind us, successfully, by supporting HB 73 as amended. This is about, and for, our young people of New Hampshire -- for our future.
After years of incredible work by a lot of people -- stretching back well over a decade when then-Governor Jeanne Shaheen signed into law provisions protecting gays and lesbians in areas of employment, services, and housing -- the real possibility of marriage equality in New Hampshire this year is shaping up. Just as exciting is the reality that it may also be adopted in Vermont, and possibly Maine, at least in the near future. Add to that the marriage protections of Massachusetts and Connecticut, and we'll have a New England where our gay and lesbian friends will enjoy freedom.
Here in New Hampshire, an important step was taken this past week as a House Judiciary Committee Subcommittee approved House Bill 436, which upgrades the state's Civil Union Law to full marriage equality.
Civil Unions have worked well in that they have provided many benefits and a higher status of relationships for our New Hampshire gays and lesbians -- some 646 couples have now commemorated Civil Unions since the law became effective on January 1, 2008. However, full marriage equality with the word is vital in order to provide benefits in private businesses which often contest whether they need to provide their gay and lesbian couples equality. Further, when DOMA -- the Defense Of Marriage Act -- is changed by the Barack Obama Administration and Congress, "marriage" will be vital to get all-important federal equality.
The Judiciary Subcommittee met on Thursday and after an hour of discussion approved HB 436 with a small clarifying amendment, with which the sponsors agreed. The vote was 3-2, with a passionate and intelligent defense of the bill by the Democrats on the Subcommittee supporting it. They were Representatives Gary Richardson of Hopkinton, who was instrumental in the successful passage two years ago of Civil Unions, along with Rep. David Nixon of Manchester and Rep. Paul Hackel of Nashua.
The entire House Judiciary Committee will vote on the Subcommittee recommendation this coming Tuesday, March 17th, at 10:00 AM. The House will vote on the bill on Tuesday, March 24th.
The House Judiciary Committee held a well-attended public hearing on HB 436 on February 5th, at which it received hours of testimony from many of the supporters of the bill.
A question I have frequently asked to anyone opposed to this legislation is why should we discriminate by preventing two people who happen to be of the same gender and are willing to make a commitment to share their love and caring for one another from being married. There is no reason.
We can provide equality for our New Hampshire gay and lesbian neighbors, coworkers, friends, and family members this year. But it will take our work.
PLEASE, if you support full marriage equality in New Hampshire, now is the best time to accomplish it. Calls or E-Mails have to go to the members of the House Judiciary Committee, who are hearing from our opponents. Then calls and letters and E-Mails need to go to your local State Representatives.
Click below or copy into your browser to go to the contact page of the House Judiciary Committee:
