**UPDATE 5:30 PM** Governor John Lynch, calling it a “great day for all New Hampshire families” signs the gay marriage bill into law.
Today, after many votes and many revisions, New Hampshire will become the sixth state in the Union to offer marriage equality to all couples. After many rounds of votes, including full passage in both Houses of the Legislature May 6, then a vote on Governor Lynch’s required language that passed the Senate but failed to pass the House May 20, the revised bill passed today.
No explanation has ever come to light for the May 6 to May 14 period that the bill had passed both Houses but had not been delivered to the Governor. The Governor on May 14 issued a statement that demanded increased protections for religious institutions, and threatened to veto the bill if the General Court (the New Hampshire Legislature) did not include his language. While gay rights groups and Legislative leaders in both Houses were amenable to the Governor’s changes, and it appeared the bill would easily pass, a May 20 vote succeeded in the Senate but failed by two votes in the House.
Right wing groups took this additional time to slander the Governor, claiming he broke his campaign promises when he stated his personal position against marriage equality. The National Organization For Marriage admitted they had infiltrated New Hampshire. Reports of robocalls, linking conservative voters directly to lawmakers, gave an impression opposition to the bill was greater than it actually was. Since 2003, the majority of New Hampshire voters have supported same-sex marriage.
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