The New Hampshire state
senate judiciary committee recommended on Thursday that the
full senate
reject
bills that would legalize same-sex civil marriage and expand
antidiscrimination protections for transgender individuals.
While the votes do not
bind the full senate, they make it
unlikely
that either bill will be revived on the floor next week,
reports the
Union Leader
.
The committee voted 3-2
to reject the marriage-equality bill, with chair
Deborah Reynolds, a Democrat, joining two Republicans in
opposing the measure. Reynolds said that she did not believe
New Hampshire was ready for same-sex marriage, according to the
Associated Press. Last month the bill passed the house by a
vote of 186-179.
The committee voted 5-0
to recommend that the full senate kill the transgender rights
bill. The bill would add the term "gender identity or
expression" to state antidiscrimination and hate-crimes
laws. Opponents argued that the bill would open public
restrooms to use by either sex. The bill passed the house last
month by a vote of 188-187.
On Tuesday, former
governor and current state Republican Party chairman John
Sununu referred to both bills as "garbage."
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