Washington, New Jersey move toward same-sex marriage
By Tom Watkins, CNN
updated 5:13 AM EST, Tue February 14, 2012
(CNN) -- Proponents of same-sex marriage got a boost on two fronts Monday, when the governor of Washington signed a bill legalizing marriage for gay and lesbian couples and the New Jersey state Senate voted 24-16 in favor of a similar bill.
The New Jersey bill now goes to the Assembly, which is slated to vote Thursday. "We're cautiously optimistic" about its chances for passage, said Steven Goldstein, a spokesman for Garden State Equality, which has lobbied for the bill.
But the legislation is threatened in both states.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said last month that the issue "should not be decided by 121 people in the State House in Trenton." Instead, he favors a statewide referendum.
"I think that this is not an issue that should rest solely in my hands, in the hands of the Senate president or in the hands of the speaker or the other 118 members of the Legislature," he said. "Let's let the people of New Jersey decide what is right for the state."
