A New Jersey town this week sent a strong message to lawmakers that the Garden State is ready for marriage equality. The Rahway City Council unanimously adopted a resolution Aug. 12 urging state legislators to override Gov. Chris Christie’s veto of the proposed marriage-equality law. The Rahway action comes on the heels of a similar resolution recently adopted by the Union County Board of Freeholders. To override Christie’s veto, supporters will need a number of new Republican votes. Democratic Councilman Bob Bresenhan told PGN this week that the resolution was meant to signal to lawmakers, especially Republicans, that their support will be welcomed by constituents. “We really are just trying to build momentum around the state and show other community leaders that there is support throughout the state,” he said. “Right now, our Republican counterparts are not crossing over to support this, and they’re not voting their conscience. We have a governor who’s grandstanding for 2016, and we need a way to fight against that. One way is to win people over from the Republican side to join supporters and work to override this veto.” Bresenhan hopes Rahway’s leadership pushes other municipalities to follow suit. “Our members thought it was time to make a public statement and say that we don’t stand behind discrimination,” he said. “And that’s how we see this; preventing two adults who love each other from getting the same rights as heterosexual couples is discrimination. There’s a groundswell happening, and I hope that it continues.”
