Plus ca change...

[ciroccoj]

Wed May 19, 3:26 PM ET
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By JENNIFER PETER, Associated Press Writer

BOSTON - The Democrat-controlled state Senate voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to repeal the 1913 law that Republican Gov. Mitt Romney is using to bar out-of-state gay couples from marrying in Massachusetts.

The repeal was approved 28-3 as part of the Senate version of the state budget. For the law to be wiped from the books, the repeal would have to get through the far more conservative House and then survive a certain veto by Romney.

The 81-year-old law bars nonresidents from marrying in Massachusetts if the union would not be legal in their home state. Because no other state allows gay marriage, Romney has argued that out-of-state couples are prohibited from marrying here.

A day after gay marriage became legal in Massachusetts on Monday, Romney requested copies of all marriage applications filled out by gay couples in Provincetown, Somerville, Springfield and Worcester — four municipalities that openly defied Romney's order not to marry nonresident gay couples.

The governor previously said he would declare any licenses issued to out-of-state gay couples void, and he threatened legal action against any clerks who issued them.

Democratic state Sen. Jarrett Barrios, a gay lawmaker from Cambridge who sponsored the repeal, cited the law's "shameful origins" — it was enacted as a way to bar the recognition of interracial marriages.

Comments

[bast2.livejournal.com]

ummm....i know what you mean about cynical. the solider who abused iraqi prisoners draws a one year prison sentence. martha stewart who was convicted of LYING (maybe the first time thats ever happened) is facing a 10-12 month stint in prison. there seems to be some inequity here....