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New Hampshire Senate Approves Civil Unions

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Zenlitened Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Apr-26-07 11:42 AM
Original message
New Hampshire Senate Approves Civil Unions
Edited on Thu Apr-26-07 11:46 AM by Zenlitened
Source: Associated Press

New Hampshire Senate Approves Civil Unions

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: April 26, 2007

Filed at 12:23 p.m. ET

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) -- A bill authorizing civil unions for gays cleared its last hurdle Thursday in New Hampshire, the first state to embrace same-sex unions without a court order or the threat of one.

The Senate passed the bill 14-10, sending it to Gov. John Lynch, who announced last week he will sign it.

"To me this legislation is a credit to our state. We're making this move not because some court some place is telling us that we must," said Democratic Sen. Joe Foster of Nashua. "We do so today because it is the right thing to do."

(snip)

New Hampshire will join New Jersey, Connecticut and neighboring Vermont in offering civil unions beginning Jan. 1. Vermont and Massachusetts were the first states to offer civil unions and marriage, respectively, to same sex couples in 2000 and 2004. Both moves followed court decisions.


Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-NY-Civil-Unions.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin
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TechBear_Seattle Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Apr-26-07 11:44 AM
Response to Original message
1. Jim Crow "marriage" catches on
Out of the hundreds of benefits granted through marriage under New Hampshire law, these civil unions would offer how many? Six? Seven?
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Zenlitened Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Apr-26-07 11:48 AM
Response to Reply #1
2. I totally understand what you're saying. I try to look at this as a good step forward.

Me: "Declare victory... and keep on fighting for more!"

:)
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LostinVA Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Apr-26-07 11:49 AM
Response to Reply #1
3. It may be like NJ and have legally the same benefits as marriage
Now, NJ needs to get off its ass and call it marriage.
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TechBear_Seattle Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Apr-26-07 12:01 PM
Response to Reply #3
5. It can not have the same benefits as marriage
At the very least, our system of common law is extremely clear: Any court rulings which apply to marriage CAN NOT apply to civil unions because they are legally two different critters. That means some 300 years of judicial precedent automatically do not apply to civil unions. Future court rulings on marriage will not apply to civil unions either, and rulings on civil unions will never apply to marriage. That makes for a fundamental unequality.
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LostinVA Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Apr-26-07 12:10 PM
Response to Reply #5
6. I am discussing state issues
I'm gay, I'm getting married in NJ in September. I understand the issue of equality.
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TechBear_Seattle Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Apr-26-07 12:15 PM
Response to Reply #6
8. You posted about CP having "legally the same benefits as marriage"
Which is a bald faced lie. As long as they are legally different things, they can not and never will have the same benefits.
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LostinVA Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Apr-26-07 12:28 PM
Response to Reply #8
9. They do in New Jersey
They are not legally the same thing, but they have legally the same benefits within the state.

What I said is correct.

Again, you are preaching to the choir. I'll have a Civil Union license, not a marriage license. I would prefer having the latter. But, at least Haruka and I will have the same state legal protections, rights, and benefits as people who have a marriage license.
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Tesha Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Apr-26-07 01:34 PM
Response to Reply #8
13. They can be anything that the legislature says they are.
> As long as they are legally different things,
> they can not and never will have the same benefits.

They can be anything that the legislature says they are.

In NH, I'm not sure there's any difference between a
"marriage" and a "civil union" 'cept for the name.

I'm sorry you don't appreciate the amazing step we've
just taken here in NH; how's it going in WA?

Tesha
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bluestateguy Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Apr-26-07 11:51 AM
Response to Reply #1
4. I prefer marriage too, but public opinion will barely accept even this
and that's in a blue state like New Hampshire.

Once this law has been on the books for a few years, people in NH will see that same sex marriage is not such a scary thing and full legalized marriage can then be approved.
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closeupready Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Apr-26-07 12:15 PM
Response to Reply #4
7. Do you know for a fact that public opinion barely accepts civil unions for gays?
Edited on Thu Apr-26-07 12:17 PM by closeupready
Just curious - thanks.

Because from a quick googling, I found a 2003 survey of New Hampshire residents, and 54% of those polled favored gay "marriage" while 70% of those between 18 and 29 were in favor of it.

That's not "barely." :)
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zanne Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Apr-26-07 05:48 PM
Response to Reply #4
14. NH is blue after a century of Republican rule
I think we're doing pretty well in our first year as a blue state. A few years ago, the NH House voted for a consitutional amendment against gay marriage. Things are changing fast.
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endarkenment Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Apr-26-07 12:59 PM
Response to Reply #1
11. The state should get out of the marriage business entirely.
marriage ought to become a stricly religious affair with civil unions the only state regulated from of domestic partnership.
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JerseygirlCT Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Apr-26-07 07:17 PM
Response to Reply #1
18. I understand, and I agree that marriage is really the only right
answer.

But I think we're seeing that the incremental approach can be successful.

We're still talking in CT about marriage, though we've had CUs for 2 years now, I think.
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endarkenment Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Apr-26-07 12:58 PM
Response to Original message
10. Good for NH good for the nation.
New England is once again leading the way on human rights.
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Tesha Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Apr-26-07 01:32 PM
Response to Original message
12. New England (and the Mid-Atlantic states) really *ARE* a different country.
New England (and the Mid-Atlantic states) really
ARE a completely different country from
the rest of the United States.

I'm glad to be here; I sure do wish we'd secede
from Jesusland, though.

Tesha
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zanne Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Apr-26-07 06:44 PM
Response to Original message
15. NH approves Civil Unions
Source: Concord Monitor

State Senate approves civil unions for same-sex couples
A bill authorizing civil unions for gays cleared its last hurdle today in New Hampshire, the first state to embrace same-sex unions without a court order or the threat of one. (Full story)


Read more: http://www.concordmonitor.com/


I'm very proud of my little state. We became officially blue in November after decades and decades of Republican rule.
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HockeyMom Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Apr-26-07 06:44 PM
Response to Reply #15
16. Congratulations!!!!!!
We are on a roll. I hope the great state of New York finally does something. ANYTHING.

Hat's off to you.
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JerseygirlCT Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Apr-26-07 07:16 PM
Response to Original message
17. Good news, moving in the right direction! nt
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Shallah Kali Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Apr-27-07 04:42 AM
Response to Original message
19. Yay! That is a step in the right direction!
:woohoo:
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