Tag Archives: Rhode Island

The Rhode Island Senate Judiciary Committee is holding a hearing on its marriage equality bill right now.  Live video here.  Follow along on Twitter at the hashtag #RI4M. GLAD reports that the capitol building is full of supporters and the usual hate groups such as MassResistance.  Keywords so far: blasphemy and abomination. And something about salad dressing. Seriously.  At times …

Marriage Equality USA’s Ned Flaherty makes some bold predictions today at Policy Mic: The next 12 states where legalization is underway are known, and the order in which they’re finishing is now predictable. By the end of 2014, these next 12 states will join the 10 other jurisdictions that already have full marriage equality: Connecticut, District of Columbia, Iowa, Maine, …

Remember NOM’s typically lie-filled claims about marriage in their full-page Rhode Island newspaper ad? Politifact took a look at those claims and gave NOM their worst rating: Pants On Fire. That’s no surprise to most of us here, but enjoy: The National Organization for Marriage-Rhode Island said in a newspaper advertisement that “religious groups like Knights of Columbus have been …

Watch it live here.  Things should start at 4pm. Photo source. UPDATE: The vote tally is here.

The next step for Rhode Island is scheduled for 4PM today. Gay marriage legislation has been introduced every year in the General Assembly since 1997, but Thursday’s vote will mark the first time the issue has received a vote in either the House or Senate.  The bill has 42 sponsors in the 75-member House — an indication of just how …

“Dear Marriage Supporter, We need your help right away! Yesterday, the Rhode Island House Judiciary Committee voted to send to the floor of the House of Representatives a bill redefining marriage. The vote on the floor of the House is scheduled for TOMORROW — Thursday, January 24 at 4:00 PM — so time is of the essence! Please forward this …

UPDATE: Rhode Islanders United reacts via press release. This is the first time a General Assembly committee has voted to send a marriage equality bill to the floor. In 2001, then State Representative David Cicilline moved passage in the House Judiciary Committee on a marriage equality bill sponsored by Representative Michael Pisaturo. He was the only affirmative vote, and the …

Clip description: “Major milestones this week, with a vote in Rhode Island and hearings in Colorado. A setback in Virginia, but polling shows the state may soon turn around. Plus, support from an unexpected source in an unexpected state.”

Marriage action today in Rhode Island: Legislation to allow gay and lesbian couples to marry in Rhode Island is headed to its first test in the General Assembly. The House Judiciary Committee is scheduled to vote on the bill Tuesday. The legislation is expected to pass. The full House of Representatives could take up the bill later in the week …

Rhode Islanders United For Marriage ticks off the lies: Claim: Faith organizations, such as the Knights of Columbus, will be forced to host same-sex weddings in their facilities against their will. Fact: A Vermont inn refused to host a same-sex wedding and was penalized. However, the legal repercussions were not due to Vermont’s marriage equality law, but rather a state …

Zack Ford tips us: The first General Assembly vote on gay marriage this year is scheduled for Tuesday. The announcement comes the day after the House Judiciary Committee held a six hour hearing on a bill — H-5015 — sponsored by Rep. Arthur Handy, D-Cranston. The proposal would allow same-sex marriage and recognize unions previously made under the state’s existing …

Last night hundreds of anti-gay activists rallied inside the Rhode Island capitol building to wave signs and scream prayers against same-sex marriage as the House began hearings on its bill. About 300 supporters and opponents signed up to address the legislative committee reviewing the bill — they were limited to 2 minutes each to keep the hearing from going all …

At NOM Exposed today Jeremy Hooper directs us to a clip just posted by NOM on their anti-gay Rhode Island site in which Liberty Counsel spokesdouche Matt Barber says homosexuality a “sin that is self-destructive” before going on to declare that “the wages of sins is death.” While NOM has historically been relatively circumspect in their condemnations of LGBT people, …

Clip description: “Big news coming this week from Rhode Island, where we may see the year’s first hearing on marriage equality. New lawmakers in Illinois and Colorado express eagerness to pass marriage and civil unions bills. Two lawsuits join forces in Hawaii and Nevada, plus one unlikely country that saw support for marriage double over the last decade.”

NOM has launched a new website in opposition to same-sex marriage in Rhode Island. Below is their opening clip.

Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee today said that he will likely veto any attempt to put same-sex marriage to a public vote. Gov. Lincoln Chafee told reporters Thursday that lawmakers owe it to voters to decide themselves. The state House of Representatives is expected to vote within weeks on legislation that would allow gay and lesbian couples to wed. But …

Marriage equality bills were introduced today in both the Rhode Island House and Senate. The identical bills were sponsored by Rep. Arthur Handy, D-Cranston, (House bill 5015) and Sen. Donna Nesselbush, D-Pawtucket. Handy said 42 of 75 House members had signed on as cosponsors, while Nesselbush said 11 of 38 Senate members had signed on as of 4:50 p.m. The …