Vermont Marriage Bill Introduced

A marriage equality bill was introduced today in Vermont's House of Representatives, although it may not be voted on during the current session.

A bill that would allow same-sex unio A bill that would allow same-sex unions was introduced in the Legislature, causing a crowd of about several hundred supporters to gather at the Statehouse in celebration. "This really is a great day and a part of moving forward to a time when all Vermont couples will be treated equally under our laws," said a sponsor, Rep. Mark Larson. A similar bill is expected to be introduced later in the state Senate.

The House legislation has 59 sponsors, none of them Republican, though some GOP lawmakers have said they'll vote for the bill, Larson said. "I know that there's broad support in the House," he said. Despite the enthusiasm, it's unclear if the measure will see any action this session, with lawmakers preoccupied with the state's fiscal crisis that has led to voluntary pay cuts, court closings and Gov. Jim Douglas's proposal to lay off more than 600 state workers. "We're still trying to decide whether it's something that we would do this year," said Democratic House Speaker Shap Smith, who supports the bill. Supporters don't expect the debate over gay marriage to be as rancorous as the one over civil unions, which triggered a yearlong battle and the ballot-box defeat of some supportive lawmakers.

Nine years ago Vermont became the first state to offer civil unions.