An attempt to repeal marriage equality in New Hampshire failed on Wednesday in the House of Representatives.
It appeared to many supporters of marriage equality that the Republican-dominated legislature would be sure to pass the repeal. Most of the hope centered on Governor Lynch, who had promised to veto any repeal. The question would be whether or not the veto could be overturned.
However, after ten different amendments and motions where opponents of equality lost every vote, the bill was finally dead by a 211-116 margin.
The minority Democrats largely sat out the debate, as Republicans argued both sides of the issue. The arguments against marriage equality ran the predictable flawed arguments: that marriage equality would ruin society, and open the floodgates to all sorts of things like incest and bestiality (despite the fact that these are not relationships between two consenting adults of equal power). Those for marriage equality cited the state’s “Live Free or Die” motto: unwilling to revoke a right granted to their citizens. Republican representative Mike Ball asked to call the bill what it is: a segregation bill. “These folks are people just like you are. They want the same thing you do.” (Taken from the Twitter feed of the debate.)
In a poll released in early February by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center, 59 percent of respondents were either strongly or somewhat opposed to repealing the law, while 32 percent said they supported repeal. (NYTimes)