The same day that New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was professing that he would veto a marriage-equality bill, the state Senate put the measure one step closer to his desk.
The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 8-4 Tuesday to advance a proposal that would legalize same-sex marriage in the Garden State.
The bill, which moved forward on a party-line vote, will now come before the full Senate Feb. 13.
Marriage equality has been given top priority by state legislators this session, who introduced it as the first bill of the year in both the Senate and Assembly.
The measure was defeated on the Senate floor last session after a 7-6 Judiciary Committee vote, but supporters say they have acquired new “yes” votes, including from Senate President Stephen Sweeney.
An Assembly committee vote has not yet been scheduled.
This week’s committee vote followed three hours of public testimony, in which supporters and opponents argued for and against the merits of marriage equality.
In his address to fellow legislators, Assemblyman Reed Gusciora, the openly gay prime sponsor of the marriage-equality bill, defended the measure against religious opponents and emphasized that it includes a religious exemption, even though marriage is a legal, not a religious, contract.
“The fact remains, marriage in this country is a secular right that is afforded to persons who abide by state laws when they take a blood test and then venture to city hall to acquire a marriage license,” Gusciora said. “Whether a couple gets married by a person of faith, a mayor or a judge, they must first meet the qualifications set forth by the state to receive a State of New Jersey marriage license.”
Leaders from both the Senate and Assembly have said they have enough votes to approve the measure, although it remains unclear if there is enough support to override a promised gubernatorial veto.
At a press conference Tuesday, Christie reaffirmed his opposition to same-sex marriage and said he believes the state’s voters should decide whether New Jersey should approve marriage equality in a referendum.
After hearing this remark at the hearing, the four dissenting Republican committee members all agreed with the governor.
In response, Sen. Ray Lesniak, a sponsor of the marriage bill, proffered that marriage equality is not like sports betting, in reference to an initiative posed to voters on the fall ballot.
“[Marriage equality is] a civil right which is already guaranteed in our constitution,” he said. “It’s up to the legislature to guarantee these rights and support marriage equality for same-sex couples.”
Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver echoed his sentiments.
“Major issues of our time, such as women’s suffrage and civil rights, were rightly decided legislatively,” she said. “We are elected by the people of New Jersey to protect civil rights. We do not pass on such tough decisions.”