Governor says he opposes proposed gay marriage bill
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By Dave Gram Associated Press - Published: November 21, 2008
MONTPELIER — Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas said Thursday he would oppose legislation allowing same-sex marriages, saying the state's civil unions law is adequate and that lawmakers should be focusing on the state's money problems.
State Sen. John Campbell says he plans to introduce such legislation in the Legislature's upcoming session.
"I think the current civil union law is sufficient," Douglas said. "It accords equality of rights to Vermonters in terms of their relationships and I think we should leave the law as it is."
Campbell said the bill is unlikely to gain support in the Legislature unless Douglas gives a clear signal he would sign it — or allow it to become law without his signature.
But Douglas balked at sending any such signal.
"I never indicate what I might do when a bill gets to my desk, but I've been quite clear that I don't support the legislation," said Douglas, a Republican.
He said he wants lawmakers to focus on the fiscal bind brought about by the recent economic downturn.
A $36.8 million revenue shortfall, combined with $27 million in demand for new spending — mainly on human services and public safety — has left the state with a "$64 million question" about what expenditures to cut, he said.
"My major concern and priority, as you know, is the fiscal condition of our state government and the economic realities that we are confronting," Douglas said. "I think it's important to make those our top priorities, that we spend every possible moment and ounce of energy on improving the economic vitality of Vermont and not deal with issues that might divert our attention from that goal."
Both Campbell and Beth Robinson, a Middlebury-based lawyer who chairs the Vermont Freedom to Marry Task Force, said Douglas' comments seemed to assume the Legislature can deal with only one issue at a time.
Robinson said fiscal issues are generally dealt with by the Legislature's money committees, while an issue like same-sex marriage would go to the House and Senate Judiciary committees.
"The Legislature can absolutely do more than one thing at once," Robinson said. "The notion that working on civil rights takes away from these other issues really is a false one."
Campbell criticized Douglas for not saying whether he'd veto a same-sex marriage bill. "This is too important of an issue for a governor to be evasive. He should let the people of Vermont know where he stands now," said Campbell, D-Windsor.
Robinson said passing a same-sex marriage law would at worst be neutral for Vermont's economy.
"It provides the Legislature an opportunity to step up relatively easily and pass a law that immediately and effectively improves the lives of many Vermont families without costing the state a penny," she said.
More likely, she said, such weddings would increase tourism and give Vermont employers a bigger talent pool from which to hire by encouraging same-sex couples to settle in the state.
Douglas said he was disturbed by a threat against Campbell in which a woman called and said she would blow up his house.
"It's very disturbing to hear that that occurred, and obviously the police are going to do everything that they can to investigate and ensure that whoever perpetrates that kind of threat is not able to do it again," Douglas said.
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