Delaware Governor Jack Markell alluded
to an anticipated gay marriage debate during his inaugural speech on
Tuesday.
“We will advance the cause of
liberty, equality and dignity in our time,” he told an audience at
Central Middle School in Dover. “Our state will be a welcoming
place to live, to love and to raise families for all who choose to
call Delaware home.”
Spokesperson Catherine Rossi confirmed
to gay weekly the Washington
Blade that Markell was indeed referring to marriage
equality.
“The governor referred in his
inaugural address to the civil rights advances Delaware made in his
first term,” she said. “He expects that Delaware will build on
that progress in his second term. We expect part of that progress to
be a marriage equality bill.”
Over the summer, Markell told The
Huffington Post that he expects the issue to be on the
legislative agenda and that he would support such an effort.
Two states – Illinois and Rhode
Island – have already started debating marriage equality, while New
Jersey, Hawaii and Minnesota are also expected to visit the issue. A
civil unions bill in Colorado appears to have sufficient support to
become law.