Just a couple of minutes ago, the NH House of Representatives concurred with language passed in the State Senate and required by the Governor before he would sign HB436, the marriage equality bill, into law.
This means that New Hampshire will join the other New England states already providing for marriage equality. The northeast is blazing the trail for equal rights under the law, and I must say I am proud to be a lifelong resident of this region.
After what seemed like an endless debate (don't they all), and a weird history lesson concerning a closeted Alexander Hamilton, the NH House did the right thing and voted to concur with the Senate's amendment further guaranteeing the rights of certain denominations NOT to solemnize same sex marriages. The numbers are not yet available on the State House website, but this vote was not as close as the last few. And I think it was the fifth time through.
What is less known about this story is the great job the blog Blue Hampshire, especially its founder and chief editor, writer, and organizer, Dean Barker did to get this through. It's a page right out of "Taking on the System".
HB436, the original bill, looked dead in the water when a State Senate committee voted to recommend killing the bill. In NH, bills can't be killed in committee. One Democratic State Senator voted with two Republicans to do this. Between that vote and the floor vote, Blue Hampshire sprung into action, with people writing diaries, telling people how to reach their legislators and the Governor and applying pressure to the State Senate to find a way to turn this around. They did. The Senator who voted against the bill in committee helped draft an amendment and voted for the amended bill on the floor. Even the one Democratic State Senator who voted against the original amended bill came around and supported the amended companion bill.
Now it will go to the Governor's desk and he has said he would sign it.
It's been a trip, but we got there, a few flat tires and repairs and unanticipated turns later.