Vermont Gov. Douglas Vetoes Same-Sex Marriage Bill

April 7, 2009 8:03 a.m. EST

Montpelier, VT (AHN) - Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas on Monday vetoed legislation legalizing same-sex marriages in the state. State Democrats, who control the legislature, plan to attempt an override of the veto on Tuesday.

The state House had passed the bill allowing gay marriages last Thursday by a 94-52 vote. The Vermont Senate had similarly approved the measure two weeks ago by 26-4.

State Speaker Shap Smith and state Senate President Peter Shumlin, both Democrats, had announced last month that a measure on gay marriages would be one of at least seven priority bills in the remainder of the 2009 session. But Republicans had said such a bill should be passed through a statewide referendum and that lawmakers should focus on the economy.

The governor had made clear that he was vetoing the bill, saying in a statement last week, "Vermont's civil union law has extended the same state rights, responsibilities and benefits of marriage to same-sex couples. I believe our civil union law serves Vermont well and I would support congressional action to extend those benefits at the federal level to states that recognize same-sex unions. But like President Obama and other leaders on both sides of the aisle, I believe that marriage should remain between a man and woman."

The legislation would have replace the state's law on civil unions, and brought the number of states to legalize gay marriages to four following Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Iowa.

Vermont became the first state to allow same-sex civil unions in 2000. Iowa became the third state to allow same-sex marriages last Friday when its supreme court upheld a lower court decision ruling the state's ban on gay marriages unconstitutional.

Gay marriages were briefly legal last year in California, where an initiative banning such marriages called Proposition 8 is now under consideration before the state Supreme Court.