Next Gay Marriage Battle: New Jersey?

[w8liftinglady]

http://blogs.wsj.com/metropolis/2011/06/30/next-gay-marriage-battle-new-jersey/?mod=google_news_blog

Gay-rights advocates filed a lawsuit Wednesday to challenge New Jersey’s civil-union law, claiming that it discriminates against same-sex couples in the state.

The legal move comes just one week after New York legalized same-sex marriage, the sixth state to do so, and on the same day that lawmakers in Rhode Island voted to approve civil unions for gay couples. New Jersey is currently among four states that recognize same-sex civil unions.

Could the courts put New Jersey into the gay marriage column? WSJ’s Law Blog takes a closer look at the lawsuit.

For now, a legal battle might be only way for gay-rights advocates to advance their cause. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has said that he would veto any same-sex marriage legislation

[closeupready]

1. Maybe if NJ legislators wrote a "lifetime supply of glazed donuts to sitting governor" provision

into a bill Christie would reconsider...? :sarcasm:

Just kidding.

[w8liftinglady]

2. hehe...you're bad

:donut:

[meegbear]

3. Oh SNAP!

[BillStein]

5. That sarcasm tag

really was necessary for once!

Tho' now that I think of it, lardass would just sent the helicopter to the nearest Krispy Kreme

[ShadowLiberal]

4. I think there's too many things working against us getting a court victory in NJ

I'd think our chance of winning much for gay rights more by lawsuits in New Jersey are slim considering the following.

1) It was the state supreme court in New Jersey that gave us civil unions in the first place. They gave the legislature the choice to have civil unions or gay marriage, rather than legalizing gay marriage outright.

2) The court has gotten more conservative since Christie has taken office. Christie even broke a long tradition of renominating judges regardless of who previously put them on the court, and he did it for a judge that he would have gotten to replace in 2 years anyway because of term limits. That means Christie won't hesitate to make the court even more right wing then it currently is.

3) Some of the court's recent rulings have led to speculation that the judges on the NJ state supreme court are scared, and are trying to keep their jobs come renomination time by not making so many rulings that anger Christie.

[beyurslf]

7. The state Supreme Court judges have to be re-nominated?

That sounds crazy.

[delunapark]

6. The Pilsbury Doughboy

:puke:

[Pab Sungenis]

8. Christie is not the main problem blocking marriage equality in NJ.

It's the Democratic-controlled State Senate that killed it last time around, and all of the homophobes that voted against it are still there and are sucking up the money we donate to the Democratic Party to get re-elected again.

A few of them (like Van Drew) are also the traitors behind the union-busting bill.