A second Republican member of the New Jersey Assembly has come out
for gay marriage.
Declan O'Scanlon on Wednesday told the Asbury
Park Press that he supports an effort to override Governor
Chris Christie's 2012 veto of a marriage bill approved by lawmakers.
While no Republicans in the Assembly voted for the bill,
O'Scanlon, an ordained minister, was not present to vote.
He said Wednesday that had he attended the session, he would have
voted for the bill. He added that the Christie administration was
aware of his position on the issue.
βI have never had untoward pressure put on me, contrary to the
reputation of this governor, to change a position,β O'Scanlon said.
βOn gay marriage, he has his position and I have mine. We respect
each other. I have not gotten a call from anybody in the
administration on this.β
O'Scanlon is speaking out just days after supporters said they had
secured 3 additional votes in the Assembly, including Republican
Holly Schepisi.
Schepisi told the Times of Trenton that her deciding factor
was the Supreme Court's June decision striking down the Defense of
Marriage Act (DOMA), which prevented federal agencies from
recognizing the legal marriages of gay and lesbian couples. The
decision left New Jersey gay couples in a civil union on an unequal
footing to those in a marriage who are able to access federal
benefits.
Supporters need to find 8 more votes in the Assembly and 3 in the
Senate before January to beat Christie's veto.