At the first public hearing on same-sex marriage in Washington state, Senator Mary Margaret Haugen (D) announced that she will support legalizing same-sex marriage. With Haugen’s vote, considered the deciding vote, the state Senate will have enough votes to pass its same sex-marriage bill, as will the state House. Moreover, Governor Chris Gregoire (D) has indicated that she will sign the bill into law, which would make Washington the seventh state to legalize same-sex marriage.
Washington Senator Ed Murray, who sponsored the legislation, stated, “I’m proud of the steps the Senate and House committees took today to advance marriage equality in Washington. Momentum continues to grow and we’re seeing blossoming support from people of every walk of life. Now is the time for our state and our people to recognize that treating all Washingtonians equally is not only the right thing to do, but it’s the Washington way.”
Lacey All, chair for Washington United for Marriage, also remarked, “Washington United thanks the respective senate and house committees for taking a bold step towards equality today. Marriage is about respect, dignity, love and commitment which is exactly what you heard from our testifiers. As families across the state struggle to hold and find jobs, and to keep their families warm and safe, we can take this action to make sure that all families are protected and included in our united social and economic fabrics of society.”
Huffington Post 1/23/12; Statement of Washington United for Marriage 1/23/12
