Tag Archives: Jim Douglas

By a vote of 100-49 the Vermont House of Representatives has overridden Gov. Jim Douglas’ veto! Marriage equality comes to Vermont! The fourth state to approve same-sex marriage, Vermont is the first to do so legislatively, rather than by judicial fiat. California’s legislature approved same-sex marriage twice, but was vetoed by Gov. Schwarzenegger. GO VERMONT!

The Vermont House and Senate will vote today on the attempted override of Gov. Jim Douglas’ marriage equality veto. Watch it live here. The vote to override the veto will start Tuesday morning in the Senate, where a 26-4 vote on the bill itself indicates an override is likely. The House vote, possibly later this morning, will be more dramatic. …

As expected. Gov. Jim Douglas vetoed a bill that would legalize same-sex marriage, setting the stage for an override vote by the legislature. Mr. Douglas, a Republican, announced in March that he would veto the bill, which the Senate passed overwhelmingly and the House of Representatives approved 96 to 52. The Vermont House only needs five more votes to override …

Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas could issue his veto of marriage equality as early as today. The bill passed the state House on Friday and will be reconsidered as a formality tomorrow by both chambers due to new language exempting churches from sanctifying gay unions. The state Senate has more than enough votes to override a veto, but the fight will …

Vermonters are pissed about their governor’s planned veto of their marriage equality bill and today hundreds of them gathered at the state capital to say so. Hundreds of supporters turned out at the Statehouse Friday morning to rally support for the bill legalizing gay marriage, two days after the Republican governor made the surprise announcement that he would reject the …

Vermont Freedom To Marry is asking everybody to directly contact Gov. Jim Douglas and express your outrage/disappointment with his threat to veto the Senate marriage equality bill, S.115.Do it here. UPDATE: Here’s Sean Chapin’s response to Douglas’ veto threat.

Bad news. Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas says he will veto a bill to legalize gay marriage if it passes the Legislature. The Republican had said even before Wednesday’s announcement that he was against same-sex marriage. He also has said lawmakers shouldn’t have spent their time on the bill this session because of the economy and the state’s budget deficit. The …

Today the Senate Judiciary Committee in Vermont unanimously voted to move the marriage equality bill to the full Senate for a vote next week. An amendment to put the issue to the voters failed. The committee did approve an amendment that reaffirms the right of churches to refuse to perform same-sex ceremonies. The addition stipulates that no civil suits can …

Lawmakers in Vermont are “fast tracking” their marriage equality bill, which is widely expected to pass both chambers of the state legislature by the end of the month. The bill is one of several House Speaker Shap Smith and Senate President Pro Tempore Peter Shumlin said will be among their priorities when the Legislature reconvenes March 17. Among the others …

Vermont’s Republican governor says he opposes moving the state from civil unions to full marriage equality, although he refuses to say if he’d veto such a bill. Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas said Thursday he would oppose legislation allowing same-sex marriages, saying the state’s civil unions law is adequate and that lawmakers should be focusing on the state’s money problems. State …