MONTPELIER – The same-sex marriage bill passed the Vermont House tonight by a vote of 95 to 52. The vote is not enough to override a threatened veto by Gov. Douglas. It goes up for final approval Friday, a largely procedural step before being sent to the governor.

The vote followed hours of debate on the same-sex marriage bill in the Vermont House that began late Thursday afternoon, one day after a national traditional marriage group opposed to the change blanketed the state in automated calls.

Rep. William Lippert, D-Hinesburg, began debate on the bill shortly before 4 p.m. by walking through the 150-member House through the details of the bill, which would make Vermont the third state in the country to allow gay and lesbian couples to marry.

“Civil unions were a bold and courageous move in 2000, but that promise has not been fulfilled,” Lippert said. “We can build on what we did in 2000, now in 2009, by taking the next step for full equality for gay and lesbian Vermonters.”

Meanwhile, groups outside of Vermont opposed to same-sex marriage ramped up the pressure on Wednesday.

Brian Brown, the executive director of the National Organization for Marriage, said his group has placed calls to about 200,000 households in the state this week, urging residents to call their state representative to oppose the bill.

The automated call – which includes the name of the household’s state representative and their phone number – asks residents to tell their lawmaker to stand with Gov. James Douglas, who said he will veto the bill if it passes.

“A lot of our supporters in Vermont were really concerned about this issue, especially the speed that it was debated,” Brown said. “All we are doing is helping them contact their local representative and tell them how they feel.”

Kathy DeWolfe, the director of elections in Vermont, said state law requires this group to file registration information with the Secretary of State’s Office once it spends more than $500 on the calls. She said she spoke to Brown earlier on Thursday, who told her they had not yet hit that threshold with the calls.

DeWolfe said she is scheduled to speak with the National Organization of Marriage again on Friday as a follow-up.

Rep. Floyd Nease, D-Johnson, told the Democratic Caucus early Thursday afternoon to oppose any amendment today that would send the same-sex marriage question to voters in the form of a non-binding town meeting referendum.

“If you like the robocalls that are coming in from Virginia, if you like the hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of e-mails people from Florida, Arizona, Utah and actually even Guam have sent us … if you like that, you’ll love the next 12 months of that,” Nease said. “That’s what a referendum would create.”

The Vermont Senate approved the same-sex marriage bill in a 26-4 vote last month.

-- Additional reporting by Associated Press