New Hampshire Governor John Lynch on
Tuesday reiterated his opposition to a bill which would repeal the
state's 2-year-old gay marriage law.
The Democratic Lynch vowed to veto the
bill during his annual State of the State address.
“New Hampshire has a long and proud
tradition of fighting for the rights of all of our people and a
tradition of leaving people alone to pursue their own happiness,”
he said. “As Governor, I intended to uphold that centurys old
tradition and I will stand firm against any legislation that will
strip any of our citizens of their civil rights.” (The video is
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Lynch's pledge comes as House
Republican leaders prepare for a Wednesday vote on Rep. David Bates'
bill, which seeks to replace marriage with civil unions for any
unmarried adults, including relatives, and would allow anyone to
refuse to recognize such unions.
While Republicans control both the
House and Senate, a two-thirds majority is needed to override Lynch's
veto.
Several libertarian-leaning Republicans
have said repeal runs counter to their ideology. On Sunday,
Republican Rep. Seth Cohn said he does not believe there is
sufficient support to get around the governor.
“I know for a fact, based on people
I've talked to, that if Gov. Lynch vetoes it, that veto is not
override-able,” Cohn told the Concord
Monitor.
An October survey found few New
Hampshire voters (27%) in favor of repeal.
Roughly 2,000 gay and lesbian couples
have married since the law took effect.