A gay marriage bill in Rhode Island
will face its final legislative hurdle on Wednesday as the Senate
takes up the issue.
“Today, we'll know the fate of
marriage equality in #RI,” Rhode Islanders United for Marriage, the
coalition of groups lobbying for passage of the bill, messaged in a
tweet.
The move comes a day after the Senate
Judiciary Committee approved the bill with a 7-4 vote and rejected a
second related bill which sought to allow voters to decide the issue.
For nearly two decades a marriage
equality bill has been introduced in the Rhode Island General
Assembly. But the nation's smallest state remains the only New
England state which does not allow gay and lesbian couples to marry.
Two years ago, lawmakers approved a civil unions bill.
The House overwhelmingly approved the
measure in January and it has the support of Governor Lincoln Chafee,
an independent.
If the Senate approves the bill, a
largely procedural vote is still necessary in the House.
(Related: Unanimous
Republican support for gay marriage in Rhode Island Senate.)