After an emotional debate, the New Jersey state senate has defeated a bill legalizing gay marriage, 20 to 14.
The failure didn’t come as much of a surprise. Earlier today, Senate President Richard Codey said the bill didn’t have the support to pass — even though Democrats hold the majority.
But supporters wanted to bring the bill to a vote anyway, because today’s session was the second-to-last before Gov-elect Chris Christie, an opponent of same-sex marriage, takes office Jan. 19. If it had passed today, it would have gone to the state assembly Monday. If it had passed there, Gov. Jon Corzine was expected to sign the bill into law.
But those were big ifs.
One of the bill’s sponsors, Sen. Ray Lesniak, broke into tears when arguing for the bill today. Lesniak has said he and other supporters would take the fight into the court system if it didn’t pass the legislature.
New Jersey has civil unions for gay couples, but marriage supporters say that creates a second-class citizenship for gay men and lesbians.
