From The New Civil Rights Movement: http://thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/breaking-rhode-island-senate-passes-same-sex-marriage-26-12/news/2013/04/24/65885
by David Badash
on April 24, 2013
The full Rhode Island Senate this afternoon passed a same-sex marriage bill by a vote of 26-12, bringing the state to the edge of becoming the tenth state in the nation to extend marriage to same-sex couples. The bill now travels back to the House for a procedural vote to mesh the two versions of the bill, and assuming passage there, Rhode Island governor Lincoln Chaffee’s promised signature.
Governor Chaffee, now an Independent, was the first Republican U.S. Senator to support same-sex marriage.
All five Republican state senators voted for the bill.
As expected the most outspoken opponent was Democratic Senator Harold Metts, who spoke for nearly ten minutes, quoting Leviticus, misquoting Biblical passages and mis-quoting the Ten Commandments. Senator Metts during last month’s Judiciary Committee hearing on the bill claimed there is “a cosmic battle between God and Satan” as his reason for opposing same-sex marriage, “whether we like it or not.”
Senator Metts also claimed that the rise of China’s financial fortunes may be because America is moving away from traditional religious beliefs, ignoring that China makes religion all but illegal.
Senator Metts also said he could go home tonight and change his sexual orientation.
The bill’s chief sponsor is Democratic Senator Donna Nesselbush, who is openly-gay, and quipped at the beginning of the debate that the issue was so important to her that she “even wore a dress.”
Continue reading at: http://thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/breaking-rhode-island-senate-passes-same-sex-marriage-26-12/news/2013/04/24/65885
