Vermont Governor Will
Veto Marriage Bill

Vermont governor Jim Douglas announced on Wednesday afternoon that he will veto a marriage-equality bill currently making its way through the state legislature, despite a 26-4 win in the senate earlier this week.

The house judiciary committee is scheduled to evaluate the bill through a week of testimony.

Since its initial introduction to the house in January by Rep. Mark Larson, with the backing of 59 other representatives, the governor has said that he would not sign the bill if it reached his desk. Douglas, a Republican, said that the legislature should be more focused on the state economy.

The bill could still become law without the governor's signature, but if Douglas uses the veto, a two-thirds vote in each chamber would be required for a legislative override.

Vermont was the first state in the country to grant civil unions to gay and lesbian couples in 2000. However, a commission of legislators has affirmed that civil unions fall short of marriage equality, now offered in neighboring states Massachusetts and Connecticut.