BREAKING NEWS: Out-of-state homosexual 'marriages' on East Coast horizon Steve LeBlanc - Associated Press Writer - 7/15/2008 2:15:00 PM
BOSTON - The Massachusetts Senate has voted to repeal a 1913 law used to bar out-of-state homosexual couples from marrying in the state. The law prohibits couples from obtaining marriage licenses if they couldn't legally wed in their home states.
After Massachusetts became the first state to allow homosexual marriages in 2004, then-Gov. Mitt Romney ordered town clerks to enforce the little-known law and deny licenses to out-of-state couples. The repeal effort has the support of state Democrats and Governor Deval Patrick, whose 18-year-old daughter announced last month she is a lesbian.
Critics fear repealing the law would open the homosexual marriage floodgates. Kris Mineau, president of the Massachusetts Family Institute, which opposes same-sex marriage, said the law is in sync with federal constitutional protections guaranteeing individual states the right to define marriage. "It is an issue of one state honoring the rights of other states," he said, but conceded the California ruling was a setback. "The green light has been given to try to export this radical social experiment from coast to coast."
Despite the introduction of homosexual marriage in Massachusetts and California, most other states have statutes or constitutional amendments specifying that marriage is between a man and a woman, and denying recognition to same-sex unions. The federal government also does not recognize such unions.
The Massachusetts House is expected to vote on the measure later this week.
Mass. House votes to open gay weddings to all BOSTON — The Massachusetts House voted Tuesday to repeal a 1913 law that had been used to block gay marriages involving out-of-state couples, all but assuring that the state will allow samesex couples to wed regardless of where they live. The 118-35 vote came after the state Senate approved the repeal earlier this month, and Gov. Deval Patrick has said he will sign the bill. The measure requires one more procedural vote in each chamber before it goes to the governor. “Sometimes what you hope and pray for actually happens, which is kind of overwhelming,” Michael Thorne, 55, of Cape Elizabeth, Maine, said after telling his 6-year-old son his parents could soon get married. Thorne and his partner of 25 years, James Theberge, have an Aug. 18 wedding planned in Provincetown.
It looks like this is a smart ECONOMIC move by Mass.. Their state will be flooded with gays seeking legal marriage and will be paying for licenses. And I'm sure they will also stay in the state for a few days, (honeymoon?) and spend even more money that will boost Mass's economy.
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