A bill which would make Washington the
seventh state to legalize gay marriage cleared a House panel on
Monday.
The House Judiciary Committee approved
the measure with a 7 to 5 vote after hearing an hour's worth of
testimony from supporters and opponents. One lawmaker abstained from
voting.
The panel voted against 5 amendments
before sending the measure to the full House. One amendment would
have expanded the bill's religious protections to include private
businesses and individuals. Another would have put the measure up
for a public vote.
Testifying before the committee was
13-year-old Allison who said she opposed the legislation because
children would be denied either a mother or a father.
βI'm concerned that this bill does
not protect the religious beliefs of business owners who may not want
to support the same-sex marriage. I believe that every child
deserves the love of a mother and a father. Each of these parents
have a unique role to play in the life of a child,β she testified.
βIn order to walk properly you must
wear one left shoe and one right shoe. Wearing two left shoes or two
right shoes it becomes hard to walk. It is the same in a family.β
The House could vote on the bill as
early as Wednesday, a week after the Senate gave its approval.
Governor Chris Gregoire has urged lawmakers to approve the
legislation.