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New Jersey Civil Union Bill Passes Through Another Legislative Committee Despite Growing Public Support for Marriage

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Lambda Legal says legislature is rushing to the wrong side of history
December 11, 2006

(Trenton, New Jersey, December 11, 2006) — At the conclusion of the New Jersey Senate Judiciary Committee hearing today on Senate Bill S2407, a civil union bill, the members voted to send the measure to the full Senate for a floor vote.


Lambda Legal, the organization representing plaintiffs in a lawsuit which resulted in the New Jersey Supreme Court decision in October, said the measure is moving too fast for justice to prevail.


“The latest Quinnipiac poll showed that more New Jerseyans favor marriage equality than in earlier polling, closing in on 50 percent, and now the New Jersey State Bar Association has voted to oppose the civil union bill and support the marriage equality bill,” said David Buckel, Marriage Project Director at Lambda Legal and lead attorney on the New Jersey marriage lawsuit. “Each day that goes by, more people favor equality and justice. The legislature is not taking the time it needs to consider this issue — it is rushing to the wrong side of history. The Judiciary Committee today did not even listen to any testimony from couples whose lives will be directly affected by the outcome of their vote.”


In its October decision the New Jersey Supreme Court unanimously found that same-sex couples in New Jersey must have equal protection under the law and be granted the rights and responsibilities of marriage, but gave the legislature the opportunity to correct the violation. If the legislature chose civil unions over marriage, the Court left open the question of whether or not that choice would be constitutional, reasoning that the legislature should have the chance to explain its decision. The Court’s deadline expires on April 23, 2007.


Garden State Equality organized a wide array of people to provide testimony opposing the civil union bill.


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Lisa Hardaway 212-809-8585 ext.266


Lambda Legal is a national organization committed to achieving full recognition of the civil rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people and those with HIV through impact litigation, education and public policy work.

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