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Is marriage equality repeal dead in New Hampshire?
February 3, 2012
By Jacob Combs
The AP takes a look at the New Hampshire House of Representative’s schedule for the 2012 session, which was released yesterday:
Republicans who control the New Hampshire House said they will focus economic growth and education initiatives in 2012 but left social issues by the wayside.
Republican House Leader Rep. D.J. Bettencourt of Salem introduced the House Republican agenda Thursday. Bettencourt said the House was focusing on changes to economic and education policy that would bring job creators to New Hampshire and put citizens back to work.Hot-button social issues like gun rights, immigration and labor laws were all absent from the agenda. The most noticeable omission was gay marriage, which is the target of several bills aiming to repeal it.
Bettencourt said the Legislature did not need to spend much time on gay marriage.
“If their minds aren’t already made up, it’s something they’re intimately familiar with,” said Bettencourt of his fellow Republicans.
Republicans also said in 2011 they were putting off social issues to focus on strengthening the state’s economic footing.
Does this mean a marriage equality repeal isn’t going to happen? It’s probably too much to make that claim from the schedule itself–as Bettencourt says, most of the caucus already knows how it feels about marriage equality, and they could try to slip in a vote at some point. Still, given the fact that the repeal bill has been pushed back once already and might not even attract enough Republican votes to pass, yesterday’s schedule does look like a recognition that a repeal is looking increasingly difficult to achieve.
Filed under: Marriage equality
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11 Comments Leave a Comment
1.
Sagesse | February 3, 2012 at 2:25 pm
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2.
Ann S. | February 3, 2012 at 2:29 pm
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3.
EricKoszyk | February 3, 2012 at 2:36 pm
I almost want them to vote on it (as long as it doesn't pass or it gets vetoed later on).
Then we know who to vote out later this year.
4.
David | February 3, 2012 at 3:00 pm
Perhaps that is one of the reasons for putting this off.
5.
candide001 | February 3, 2012 at 3:50 pm
They're biding their time for a republican governor in Nov. who won't veto it. Then they'll strike.
6.
415kathleenk | February 3, 2012 at 4:04 pm
Its hard to say what could happen after the november election. They may get a republican governor and then again they may get a few more democrats electied impossible to say now. I fearlessly predict they are going to let it quietly die because they are going to be "too busy" working on relevant legislation. I believe they have come to the conclusion after all the puffery and demogoguery frome NH republicans that the issue is just not popular and they have more face to lose by pushing it. There are some wing nut true believers in the state house but i bet there a whole lot more conservative but pragmatic republlcans. NH residents have made their feelings pretty clear. And they do not like outsiders ( read NOM) meddling in their state business.
7.
Chrys | February 3, 2012 at 4:42 pm
I think they're hoping to slip a midnight vote in unnoticed, actually.
8.
Rich | February 3, 2012 at 5:05 pm
I live next door to NH. It is my belief that the legislators got the message loud and clear that the repeal is not at all popular and not at all worth the aggravation. I think 415kathleenk is correct; we, in New England, do not take kindly to outside forces (NOM) coming into our state and our homes with lies, bigotry and absolutely no concern for the good citizens of our New England communities. We are a feisty lot and, here in Maine, we now see that we were hoodwinked by NOM and it won't happen again. Too many citizens, newspaper columnists, educators and even some politicians see the destructive goals of NOM for what they are. The Catholic Church (Bishop Richard Malone and Marc Mutty) bought into this hate fest financially and with the lie planted squarely on their lips. There is a price to pay and the payment is due. Bishop Malone would have us believe it will be religious persecution. Not so, it will be truth, pure and simple, that will be their downfall.
9.
John_B_in_DC | February 3, 2012 at 7:29 pm
Maybe they finally realized what a big pile of political poo they were about to step into.
10.
Jamie | February 4, 2012 at 4:17 am
The best post on Christie's statement: http://be4marriage.com/archives/722
11.
grod | February 4, 2012 at 5:57 am
Who’s persecuting who in Maine?
Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland: $550,000; Roman Catholic Diocese of Evansville: $1,000;
Archdiocese of Santa Fe: $1,000; Knights of Columbia: $50,000; National Organization for Marriage: $1.1 million; Focus on the Family of Colorado: $50,000
Hopefully long before November, NOM’s request to Appeal to the US Supremes will be refused, the Maine’s Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices will have concluded their investigation, finding against NOM; NOM will continue to fail to disclose, and the Commission will not permit NOM to be a form or be a contributor to a ballot initiative committee. Bishop Malone’s organization would have to dig deeper into its pockets this time. Indeed, the truth will be self-evident, "pure and simple, that will be their downfall".
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