Rhode Island Legislature Overrides Anti-Gay Governor's Veto

UPDATE: Anti-gay Carcieri joined anti-gay National Organization for Marriage in issuing a last minute plea to the RI legislature.

Rhode Island legislators easily overrode anti-gay Republican Governor Donald Carcieri's mean-spirited veto of a bill that granted funeral decision-making rights to same-sex couples.

The governor said at the time of his November veto: "This bill represents a disturbing trend over the past few years of the incremental erosion of the principles surrounding traditional marriage, which is not the preferred way to approach this issue. If the General Assembly believes it would like to address the issue of domestic partnerships, it should place the issue on the ballot and let the people of the state of Rhode Island decide.'"

And this afternoon, the Providence Journal reports: "The House—and then the Senate—voted to override Republican Carcieri's veto of a bill giving domestic partners the right to claim the bodies of—and make funeral arrangements for—their loved ones. The House vote was 67 to 3 and the Senate vote was 29 to 3. The only one of dueling defense-of-marriage, same-sex marriage and gay-rights bills introduced in Rhode Island last year that cleared the General Assembly, the legislation was an outgrowth of the personal tale that Mark S. Goldberg told lawmakers about his months-long battle last fall to persuade state authorities to release to him for cremation the body of his partner of 17 years, Ron Hanby."

Within "the course of a few hours", both of the Democratic-controlled chambers overrode dozens of bills previously vetoed by Carcieri and stripped the governor of his power to fill U.S. Senate vacancies.

You May Want to Read:
Rhode Island Governor: Even Dead Gays Have No Rights

Comments

[Taylor Siluwé]

Sweet!

[Said]

In your sneering, homobophic face, jackass.

[ff]

"disturbing trend over the past few years of the incremental erosion of the principles...."

LOL

and what erosion has happened? what proof is there? what data does he have? such BS, empty rhetoric from people like him . "traditional marriage" is unaffected by this or any other same sex initiative.