CONCORD, N.H. - The New Hampshire Senate voted 13-11 today to legalize same sex marriage. The bill will be sent back to the House to approve amendments made to it that removed gender-specific language. If passed, it will go into effect Jan. 1 unless vetoed by Democrat Gov. John Lynch.
The Senate also voted 14-10 to allow medicinal marijuana use by residents with crippling ailments, and sent that bill back to the House as well to review relatively minor changes made to the bill. If the House endorses the changes and Gov. John Lynch signs the bill, as expected, New Hampshire would be the 14th state to legalize medicinal marijuana.
Gov. Lynch has said that he opposes same-sex marriage, but has not indicated whether he intends to veto the bill that passed the House by a vote of 186 to 179 March 2 and was approved by the Senate Wednesday. Last Thursday, the state Senate’s Judiciary Committee had recommended against approving the bill by a vote of 3-2.
