The state Senate in Washington passed a bill on Wednesday night that puts the Evergreen State on a course to becoming the seventh state in the country to legalize gay marriage.
The Senate was expected to be the tougher of the two houses to get the
bill through (though both houses are controlled by Democrats), but the
measure passed easily and could be approved by the House as early as
next week. Governor Chris Gregoire has already announced her intentions to sign it,
joining her state with New York, Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New
Hampshire, and Vermont as those where gay and lesbian couples can
legally wed.
Opposition groups have already announced their intention to oppose the
Washington bill via a referendum. They would need to get 120,000 by June
6 to the put the issue on the November ballot. If they fail to do so,
the law would automatically take effect this summer. North Carolina and
Minnesota will be voting on gay marriage bans this year, and Maine could
see a pro-gay marriage issue on the ballot in November as well.
