Vermont Legislators Override Governor, Legalize Gay Marriage

In Massachusetts, Connecticut and Iowa, courts have ruled in favor of same-sex marriage. Today in Vermont, it was the legislature, overruling a veto by Governor Jim Douglas. In the Senate, the vote was 23 to 5; in the House, 100 to 49, just the two-thirds required to override a veto. In Washington, DC, where domestic partnerships are legal, the city council voted today to recognize same-sex marriages performed elsewhere. Bill Lippert, an openly gay legislator in Vermont's House of Representatives, is Chair of its House Judiciary Committee, which brought the bill to the floor.