Douglas says he's strongly opposed
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By Louis Porter Vermont Press Bureau - Published: March 11, 2009
MONTPELIER – A few days after Democratic legislative leaders pledged to make gay marriage a top priority Gov. James Douglas on Tuesday used stronger language than he has in the past to express his opposition to the bill on a variety of fronts.
"I don't support it. I really believe the civil union law we have now is sufficient," Douglas said during a meeting of The Times-Argus editorial board. "I don't see the need to have … a divisive debate about this topic."
With support of lawmakers – including likely a few Republicans – the bill creating gay marriage in Vermont is likely to reach Douglas' desk. Then the governor will have three choices: He could sign the bill, giving it his support; he could let it become law without his signature; or he could veto it.
In 2000, the state was the first in the nation to pass a compromise civil unions measure that provides some of the same rights and protections.
Douglas has made it a policy not to make veto threats and Tuesday he declined to say what he will do if the bill reaches him. But Douglas said lawmakers in every committee should be concentrating on budgetary and economic development issues. If a gay marriage bill reaches his desk before an economic development bill, "I won't be pleased," he said.
Beth Robinson, an attorney with the Vermont Freedom to Marry Taskforce, said if Douglas does not consider the bill a civil rights issue and considers the current law to be adequate perhaps he would consider trading in his marriage for a civil union.
The civil union law was always viewed as a step towards equality – not an achievement of that goal, Robinson said.
"No one ever pretended they provide full and equal rights," she said.
And Gov. Douglas is missing one – if not the central – reason for passing a gay marriage bill: It will have a positive effect on the Vermont economy, Robinson said.
"That is not the reason to do this," she said. "But in tough economic times I don't think we can pass up any opportunity to bring advantages to Vermont businesses."
Just as the state's hospitality businesses saw an economic benefit of the civil union law, the state will also see a benefit from a gay marriage bill becoming law, Robinson said.
"This is not a distraction from our economic situation, it is one factor in a multi-pronged approach," she said. "I think it will be significant."
The state of Massachusetts, for instance, has used its gay marriage statute as a way to attempt to draw workers in technology fields from California, Robinson said.
"The Vermont brand sells and equal rights, progressive social values are part of that brand," she said.
But Douglas said the main work of the Legislature in this year of layoffs and declining state revenues should lie elsewhere.
"I don't believe it is necessary and it is divisive at a time when we should be concentrating on creating jobs," he said.
He has not heard much about the gay marriage bill in his travels through the state recently, either for or against it, Douglas said.
"It doesn't come up a lot, frankly," he said. "It is all about the economy"
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