NH GOP Drops Marriage Ban Bill Because Repeal Bill Would Be Quicker

The New Hampshire GOP is dropping their bill to ban same-sex marriage because they don't want to confuse lawmakers with the push to repeal same-sex marriage. Got that?

State Rep. David Bates, the Windham Republican who also is sponsor of the repeal bill, told The Associated Press on Tuesday he wants to let the Legislature consider repealing the law enacted under Democrats two years ago before debating a constitutional change -- a process that would take longer to implement. "The bill to change the meaning of marriage back to what it was in statute is well on its way," Bates said. Bates said he did not want to risk having lawmakers choosing between two measures: the bill and a constitutional amendment. "It would complicate the decision for legislators if there was another alternative out there," he said. The legislative process seems the appropriate way to decide the issue, he said. If a constitutional amendment is used, millions of dollars in out-of-state money would flow into New Hampshire on both sides of the issue, he said.

The full New Hampshire House will vote on the repeal bill in January.