New Hampshire Speaker of the House Bill
O'Brien has said he would make another attempt to repeal the state's
gay marriage law if he wins another term as speaker.
During an appearance on New Hampshire
Public Radio's the Exchange, O'Brien said he believes gay
marriage harms the family which in turn results in greater government
spending.
“If our families are weak, then we’ll
never be able to have final fiscal responsibility, because if
government needs to step up for weakened families then there’s
going to be an unlimited call on government resources. One of the
things that makes our families strong is a traditional definition of
marriage and I firmly believe that,” O'Brien
said.
Last March, the Republican-controlled
House overwhelmingly voted against a bill which would have repealed
the state's 2-year-old gay marriage law. The measure, sponsored by
Rep. David Bates, sought to end gay nuptials in the state and give
gay and lesbian couples civil unions in its place. At the time,
nearly 2,000 gay couples had tied the knot.