Source: CNN
“I have come to believe that this is a question of fairness and of equal protection under the law and that a civil union is not equal to civil marriage,” said Baldacci, a Democrat.
With this statement, Gov. John Baldacci signed the marriage bill into law less than an hour after the state legislature passed it. It was previously unknown whether he would sign even if it went through. This makes at total of four states where same-sex marriage is currently the law, with Vermont’s version going into effect this September.
California’s marriage law is still being considered by that state’s Supreme Court, while New York’s governor Patterson has introduced same-sex marriage legislation there (New York currently recognizes such marriages legally performed in other states).
It is safe to say that no one could predict such change in the few short months since Proposition 8.
Extra: Timothy Kincaid of BTB explains some of the trouble that may be ahead for this law.
1. Yay!
2. Technically, Maine’s law will go into effect Sept 15, two weeks after Vermont on Sept 1, making Maine #5, not 4. Just saying.
I think New England is learning from the mistakes California has made. Had Schwarzenegger signed the gay marriage bill back in 2005, California would have been a model state of justice and fairness and equality. But now California has turned into one big embarrassment after another. In fact, Schwarzenegger’s new movie should be called “Terminator 5: Democracy Gone Bad.” And it should star Miss California Carrie Prejean, Miles McPherson, pastor of the Rock megachurch in San Diego, and the cast of the commercial for NOM. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir should be the featured music on the soundtrack with a remake of AC/DC’s classic “Highway to Hell.”
No matter what the outcome is for Prop 8, I think California has lost its chance to be a model state. New England has taken the torch and is running with it now. Iowa as well. And while they may be up for a fight, it sounds as if they are on more solid ground than in California as to understanding fairness and equality. Being smaller states may also be to their advantage. You have a smaller crowd with less diversity. The government is smaller as well, making it harder to pass the buck as what happened with California. The Legislature can blame the Governor, the Governor can blame the Courts, the Courts can blame the people, the people can blame the Legislature, and on and on it goes in California.
If Prop 8 did anything positive, it awoke the consciences of some people on the opposite side of the country to realize not everyone is being treated with equality, and that now is the time to rectify that.