Washington state lawmakers holding hearings on gay marriage on Monday
Sun. January 22, 2012 11:15 AM by GoPride.com News Staff
Olympia, Wash. -
Thousands of people may flood the area around Washington State's capitol in Olympia on Monday as lawmakers hold hearings on gay marriage.
The state senate is at the tipping point on the issue, with gay marriage supporters just five votes short of total needed to pass the bill.
Gov. Christine Gregoire has said she would sign it, and last week lawmakers came under pressure from business leaders, including Microsoft, to give gays and lesbians equal footing in the state.
Opponents are powering up. The Seattle Times said that the "National Organization for Marriage" has promised to spend $250,000 defeating any Republican who supports gay marriage.
And a group of opponents, including Tea Party activists and evangelical ministers, said they will try to rally thousands of people in Olympia on Monday.
The two gay marriage bills in the House and Senate are identical. The Senate's hearing begins at 10 a.m. Pacific Time, and the House's hearing begins at 1:30 p.m. Both will be broadcast live on TVW.
The state senate is at the tipping point on the issue, with gay marriage supporters just five votes short of total needed to pass the bill.
Gov. Christine Gregoire has said she would sign it, and last week lawmakers came under pressure from business leaders, including Microsoft, to give gays and lesbians equal footing in the state.
Opponents are powering up. The Seattle Times said that the "National Organization for Marriage" has promised to spend $250,000 defeating any Republican who supports gay marriage.
And a group of opponents, including Tea Party activists and evangelical ministers, said they will try to rally thousands of people in Olympia on Monday.
The two gay marriage bills in the House and Senate are identical. The Senate's hearing begins at 10 a.m. Pacific Time, and the House's hearing begins at 1:30 p.m. Both will be broadcast live on TVW.