Last minute about face at GSE and at the NJ State House
Last Updated on Friday, 08 January 2010 10:31 Written by Out In Jersey Tuesday, 05 January 2010 23:05
UPDATE: Senate to vote Thursday on marriage equality bill
There are only two voting sessions left for the New Jersey State Legislature in Trenton before the gay-friendly and outgoing Governor Jon Corzine leaves office. Incoming Governor Chris Christie is no friend of the gay community and has said he will never sign any marriage equality bill. He even supports a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage in the state.
In hope of influencing legislators to
bring the Marriage Equality Bill to the floor Garden State Equality (GSE) held a last-ditch rally at the Statehouse on Monday. The strategy may have worked.
In an effort to stay in front of rising anger in the New Jersey LGBT Community, GSE president Steven Goldstein dropped his long-time dedication to the Democratic Party, threatening that gays would “cross the aisle to support independent candidates” in future elections.
Some present at the rally were heard to criticize Assembly Speaker Joe Roberts, whose decision a week ago to not bring the bill to the Assembly for a vote until it had passed the Senate was seen by many as a maneuver to allow legislators to avoid taking a stand on the controversial subject. Roberts, who has accepted thousands of dollars in contributions from GSE and LGBT contributors has claimed to be a supporter of marriage equality. He surprised the advocates of the marraige equality bill with his decision.
"If the Senate approves it, I will take the extraordinary step of bringing the bill directly to the Assembly floor for a vote during our Monday voting session," Roberts said. The last regular and scheduled session of the legislature before Governor Jon Corzine leaves office will be next Monday, January 11. The legislative session ends officially at at noon next Tuesday.
Late on Monday, the New Jersey State Senate announced it is voting this Thursday, January 7, on the marriage equality bill. This occurred after the failure of the Assembly’s Judiciary Committee to take the measure up for consideration when it met on January 4. Assembly Speaker Joe Roberts punted back to the state Senate, saying to reporters that an Assembly vote on marriage equality would only happen if there is passage in the Senate.
State Senate President Richard Codey says a vote will take place on Thursday. However, the votes to pass the bill do not seem to be in place. But the bill is now scheduled for debate and a vote on Thursday, January 7.
"Senator Codey is a great supporter of equality and at least he kept his commitment to our community," says Garden State Equality chair Steve Goldstein.
Goldstein has witnessed the evaporation of support for the measure form many State Senators that the LGBT community was counting on before the November elections. Democrat Jon Corzine’s huge defeat in the election has caused a huge change in the Trenton political air. The ability of many Democrats in the State House to do the "right thing" has shifted dramatically according to LGBT marriage equality advocates. They have been lobbying many swing votes and attempting to strengthen the resolve of many politicians who are now backing away from their earlier support of the bill.
On Monday, the GSE State House rally was attended to by over 150 concerned citizens. Goldstein told the New York Times, "Either we will be able to march up the aisle and have marriage equality, or we will march across the aisle and have political independence."
State Senator and LGBT supporter Steven Lesniak sounded a one of the few positive notes saying, "I believe there is a realistic chance we can get it posted and passed."
Many lawmakers’ fear that a vote on the rights of LGBT citizens might be detrimental in next November’s elections.
GSE is requesting that marriage equality bill supporters meet in front of the State House in Trenton on Thursday at 10:30 am. They plan to march from the State House to the State House Annex, and then talk to legislators before the vote is taken on Thursday.
GSE said in an email:
The address of the State House, for GPS and MapQuest purposes, is 125 West State Street. Park at the Trenton Marriott garage, 1 West Lafayette Street. Thursday afternoon, immediately after the Senate vote, Garden State Equality will hold a news conference and a free member reception at the Trenton Marriott Ballroom, 1 West Lafayette Street.
