Corzine: N.J. Gay Marriage "This Year"

Nathan, It doesn't make a whole lot of sense for Corzine to push for NJ marriage equality until he is actually re-elected as NJ Governor in just a month's time and safe for the time being from challenge from his antigay GOP governor job contender. Should NJ get marriage equality now and should the GOP opponent of Corzine and opponent of marriage equalty be elected instead as Governor, Corizne's opponent promised that his first act in office would be bning a screeching halt to NJ marriage equality. NJ equality right now just to have it "cruelly dashed on the rocks" barely a month later? Surely gay NJ couples can wait one more month until after NJ gov election day to see their champion Corzine first safely re-elected to office and THEN hold him accountable in 2010 if he doesn't make good on his promise to try to bring marriage equality to NJ. just 35 days until NJ election day compared to years of waiting for equality. NJ's equality could be very near, MD's maybe in 6 years

@Mark: The NJ legislature has not had enough supportive votes to pass marriage equality until very recently, and only then through the hard work of Garden State Equality and increasingly strong support from NJ voters. As with most "controversial" legislation, legislators prefer to vote on the bill after the election rather than before. The NJ courts allowed civil unions as an alternative, and that is what the legislature chose at the time. Corzine cannot sign a bill until it is passed. He has promised to sign the bill when it is passed, and he has urged the legislature to pass it. If the legislature passes a marriage equality bill in November or December, as expected, the gubernatorial election in November has no impact -- Corzine will still be in office until mid-January and will sign the bill. @Brian: Unlike Maine and California, New Jersey does not have a "people's veto". If the marriage equality bill is passed and signed, it will become law and likely remain law.

@Mark: The NJ legislature has not had enough supportive votes to pass marriage equality until very recently, and only then through the hard work of Garden State Equality and increasingly strong support from NJ voters. As with most "controversial" legislation, legislators prefer to vote on the bill after the election rather than before. The NJ courts allowed civil unions as an alternative, and that is what the legislature chose at the time. Corzine cannot sign a bill until it is passed. He has promised to sign the bill when it is passed, and he has urged the legislature to pass it. If the legislature passes a marriage equality bill in November or December, as expected, the gubernatorial election in November has no impact -- Corzine will still be in office until mid-January and will sign the bill. @Brian: Unlike Maine and California, New Jersey does not have a "people's veto". If the marriage equality bill is passed and signed, it will become law and likely remain law.

This is getting tedious. California passes equality. Religious bigots reverse that by enshrining hate into the California constitution. Now, Maine has passed equality, and the religious bigots are trying to do the same thing there. I hope they fail, but I am not betting on anything. "I think I know enough of hate to know that for destruction ice is also great and would suffice." As Robert Frost says. Thus I am not holding out too much hope right now on these issues. I hope equality passes in NJ but if it does these religious nuts will do the same thing there as they did in CA and Maine. Too bad there is no afterlife, because it would be great if there were a hell for these haters to go to. We need to stop playing the game of the bigots and asking nicely for our civil rights. We need to get behind the Olsen-Boies lawsuit and DEMAND OUR RIGHTS IN COURT. This is HUMAN RIGHTS. Not human privileges. I say let's bypass playing this game with religious nuts and resolve this in court.

The 800% toll increase is not happening in your lifetime... (just from what i read) Tax increase - yep, not so hard to swallow - would have preferred tobacco increased 2x instead of Wine/Alc - although - it may help keep some people from becoming more drunk and stupid..

We demand a federal Civil Rights Act to end this ping pong game that heterosexual supremacists enjoy so much! Tim and Earl two husbands, Americans, married in Canada in 2003 Together in Love at first sight for 33 years

We demand a federal Civil Rights Act to end this ping pong game that heterosexual supremacists enjoy so much! Tim and Earl two husbands, Americans, married in Canada in 2003 Together in Love at first sight for 33 years

Corzine has always been supportive of marriage equality, however, I believe he held onto not doing anything until election to use it as a political card to ensure GLBT votes in this extremely tight (and possibly losing) election. Don't vote, or not for him, and you won't get marriage equality. To tell truth, besides his liberal ideologies, what holds me to vote for him, he has been an aweful governor. It is true that taxes have increased under him (oh my beloved wine..yet not the beer of "the poor"?), and he had plans to increase the tolls up to 800% (yes, 800%!!). With daily tolls of $3 for me, it would have made my 110 mile roundtrip commute price not worth my job! This idea killed his re-election.

Let's just hope and pray that, if passed, it doesn't come down to a "people's vote" or "veto" the way it has in Maine. That sort of thing should NOT be allowed.

Politics aside Corzine has always been a great supporter for GLBT rights. I remember seeing him when he was running for senator at the NJ Pride Festival. He made quite the impression. All the GLBT groups in NJ have been hoping for a while that he would act at the end of 2009. That's why the No on Marriage folks have recently arrived in NJ.