Both houses of the legislature in New Jersey approved a measure that would formally codify same gender marriage in the state’s statues. Currently, marriage equality is protected only by judicial order, meaning that it would be vulnerable if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Obergefell v. Hodges.
This bill has no religious exemption which means shuls and wedding halls can be sued if they discriminate against a a non traditional wedding. Many came to speak out against the bill at the Senate Budget Committee, last week.
Moments before the bill passed this week in the Senate, outgoing Senate President Stephen Sweeney, D-Gloucester urged his colleagues to vote unanimously to send a message to the country that marriage equity is “a civil right.”
“This is about acting to ensure equal treatment and civil rights for all New Jerseyans, including same-sex couples,” said Sweeney, who is set to leave office next month after a stunning re-election loss.
The Senate vote passed the bill with 35 voting yes, 4 voted No and one abstention. State Senator Robert Singer (R-Lakewood) voted no. State Senator Jim Holzapfel (R-Toms River) abstained.
27 Assemblymen (over a third) didn’t actively vote for it. Final passage in the Assembly:
Yes 53
No 10
Not voting 13
Abstains 4
Thomson, Edward H. (Lakewood)- No
Kean, Sean (Lakewood)- Abstain
Dancer, Ronald S. (Jackson) – No
Clifton, Robert D. (Jackson) -No
Catalano, John (Toms River) – No
McGuckin, Gregory P. (Toms River) – Abstain
Many Lakewood residents have expressed their disappointment with Assemblyman Kean for not voting against this bill, after he has been asked by many of his constituents to do so.
On December 2, all 28 Republican Assembly Members refused to show their negative test or proof of vaccination and risked being arrested by entering into the state capital to represent their constituents and vote! The state is now saying that they cannot enter the statehouse to vote.
Six of the Assembly members walked into the capital on Monday, December 20, and risked being arrested and/or stopped by the National Guard. Over 600 People came to Trenton to support them! and protest the vote on codifying same gender marriage which was taking place there and then.
The drama came just hours after State Police troopers blocked the six GOP legislators from entering the Statehouse by locking the doors because the lawmakers refused to show their vaccine cards. The half-dozen lawmakers chose to vote via phone instead, after judge rejected a last-minute court motion they filed to stop these draconian rules, which are discriminatory and unconstitutional. The case is not over; a hearing is scheduled for April.
Sources: NJS, NJ.com, Hefkervelt.blogspot.com
About time we wake up and demand from Kean to leave office !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Kean is dancing on both weddings.
FYI. Senator singer is not a young man.
Keene is dreaming to take him over and it is not gonna go over easy if he does not Vote properly
does anybody know if Kean is gay himself?
Ha!! Good
He has been avoiding these votes for a while
how can you compare vaccines which the torah is not against to same sex “marriage” which is antithetical to kol hatora kulah
פיקוח נפש is prior to everything.
וחי בהם
Gods Perfection Needs No Injection
Kudos !!!!
Good evening. Did I miss the CJV activities against said same-sex marriage legislation? If there is a battle for Jewish values to be fought, is it not on something so foundational as ensuring that same-sex marriage doesn’t pass without significant opposition in a state like NJ, with such prominent Orthodox communities?
Realize what we did actually accomplish, relative to the attempt to make Sodomist Matrimony unanimous, in a perverted inversion of Chullin 92a [see Maharal as well]:
“Moments before the bill passed in the Senate, outgoing Senate President Stephen Sweeney, D-Gloucester, apologized for abstaining on the bill that would have legalized gay marriage in New Jersey in 2010 — a sentiment he has shared before. He urged his colleagues to vote unanimously to send a message to the country that marriage equity is “a civil right.”
“This is about acting to ensure equal treatment and civil rights for all New Jerseyans, including same-sex couples,” said Sweeney, who is set to leave office next month after a stunning re-election loss.”
https://www.nj.com/politics/2021/12/nj-lawmakers-act-to-officially-enshrine-same-sex-marriage-into-law.html
Not even a full 2/3 of the NJ Assembly actively voted for it, thank G-d. Even in the Senate, 10% actively opposed it.
B”H, in retrospect, we didn’t need CJV to attain our said goal of ensuring that it remains a controversial measure. B”H, other agents were found. But why the silence from CJV? I Granted, it may not be all that conducive to getting lots of media interviews, but I hope that’s not a consideration.
I noticed that the day before CJV came out regarding DEI, in the name of 2000 Rabbis. Why not even mention this legislation?
Looking forward to your candid response, as I’ve not heard from you yet (unless I missed an email perhaps?…)
The CJV barks at the right much more then the left just so they wont be accused of being political.
Of course the left has so much more garbage compared to the right – so they make sure to ignore all that…