May 20, 2009
Setback to Gay Marriage in New Hampshire
by Abby Goodnough
The New York Times
In an unexpected move that raised a new hurdle for same-sex marriage in New Hampshire, the state's House of Representatives on Wednesday rejected changes that Gov. John Lynch had ordered for the same-sex marriage bill.
The House, dominated by Democrats, voted 188 to 186 against amending the bill to make clearer that religious opponents of same-sex marriage would not have to participate in ceremonies celebrating it.
The vote made the bill's survival less certain, but the measure is not dead yet. It will now go to a joint committee of the legislature, which will try to come up with language acceptable to the House and Senate. But it is unclear whether Governor Lynch, a Democrat, would sign it.
"The governor articulated strong principles that needed to be included in order for him to sign the bill," Mr. Lynch's spokesman, Colin Manning, said in a statement. "While he will continue to talk with lawmakers, those principles must be maintained in any final version of the bill."
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