New Jersey Marriage Bill Passes First Hurdle

New Jersey's Senate Judiciary Committee voted 7 to 6 Monday to pass The Freedom of Religion and Equality in Civil Marriage bill.

The bill, which was widely expected to pass, will now move to the full Senate for a vote as early as Thursday. There, it is unclear what will happen.

Democrats hold a 23-17 majority, but some lawmakers have indicated they were influenced by the setbacks for marriage equality in Maine and New York, and the election as governor last month of Chris Christie, a Republican who opposes marriage equality and takes office on January 19. He has vowed to veto the bill, leaving advocates under pressure to pass the bill in time for it to be signed by outgoing governor Jon Corzine.

Should the bill pass the full senate on Thursday, it will move to the assembly, where insiders feel more confident about approval.