A fall campaign likely over marriage equality legislation in New Jersey

08/22/09 AP / ADF Alliance Alert:

In Lewis v. Harris, 908 A.2d 196 (N.J. 2006), the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled that the state must allow same-sex couples "the full rights and benefits enjoyed by heterosexual married couples." But the Court left it up to the state legislature to determine whether a new state law would let same-sex couples marry or would let them enter civil unions with all the rights and benefits of marriage. The legislature enacted Public Law 2006, Chapter 103, establishing civil unions for same-sex couples, and authorized the New Jersey Civil Union Review Commission to evaluate the law. The Commission has examined the consequences of denying these couples access to marriage. Witnesses have testified to the Committee that

the two-tier system created by the Civil Union Act [offers] “an invitation to discriminate” and a “justification to employers and others” to treat same-sex couples as “less than” married couples.

These facts provide the context for the AP article:

A bill that would allow gay marriage is expected to be debated in Trenton during the lame-duck period between the Nov. 3 election and start of a new legislative session in January. In the fall, there probably will be television and radio ads on the issue. But for now, the focus is mostly on the faithful speaking to their representatives in Trenton ... Social conservatives have been trying for years to get such an amendment [banning same-sex marriage] on New Jersey's ballot, but they have not come close so far. Now, they're on the political defensive.