The Warwick, Rhode Island City Council
on Monday approved a resolution in support of a proposed gay marriage
bill in Rhode Island.
After the House overwhelmingly approved
the measure in January, the Senate is expected to debate the issue
before the end of April. The Senate Judiciary Committee last month
held a marathon 12-hour hearing on the issue but has yet to take a
vote.
Warwick city councilors unanimously
approved the resolution in front of a crowd estimated at 70 people,
most of whom favored marriage equality. The resolution was submitted
by Councilwoman Camille Vella-Wilkinson, The
Providence Journal reported.
City councils in Providence and East
Providence have approved similar resolutions.
Senate President Teresa Paiva Weed has
pledged to bring the measure to the Senate floor as soon as it
emerges from the Senate Judiciary Committee, possibly as soon as the
week of April 21.
A marriage bill has been introduced
every year since 1997 in Rhode Island, the only New England state
which does not allow gay and lesbian couples to marry. Two years
ago, lawmakers approved civil unions for gay couples.