TRENTON — With the legalization of gay marriage in New York just shy of passage, a New Jersey lawmaker says it’s time to pick up the conversation here. "They’re talking about it in New York," said Assemblyman Reed Gusciora (D-Mercer), the state’s only openly gay lawmaker, who proposed a bill (A4130) on Monday to legalize same-sex marriage. "Why aren’t...
Assemblyman Reed Gusciora (D-Mercer) pictured with Gov. Christie during a 2010 press conference in the governor's office. TRENTON — With the legalization of gay marriage in New York just shy of passage, a New Jersey lawmaker says it’s time to pick up the conversation here.
"They’re talking about it in New York," said Assemblyman Reed Gusciora (D-Mercer), the state’s only openly gay lawmaker, who proposed a bill (A4130) on Monday to legalize same-sex marriage. "Why aren’t we talking about it in New Jersey?"
In New York, where gay marriage failed two years ago, supporters are within a vote of passing it in the Republican-controlled Senate.
In New Jersey, it’s the first time a lawmaker has put forward a bill on gay marriage since it was defeated in the state Senate in January 2010 — just before Gov. Chris Christie took office.
Nor is it likely to go much further in New Jersey this time. Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York, a Democrat, says he’ll sign a measure approving gay marriage, but Christie, a Republican, is not so inclined. Although supporters say they’ve persuaded several New Jersey Democrats who abstained last time to vote yes, that won’t matter unless they can get every Democrat on board and pick off three Republicans to make a veto-proof majority of 27 votes.
Steven Goldstein, chairman of Garden State Equality, said the best way to pursue gay marriage is through the courts.
"Last year, the Supreme Court invited our side to file a lawsuit to prove that the civil union law was not providing equality to same-sex couples in New Jersey," he said. "That seems like a very wise indication to accept."
In July, the state Supreme Court refused to take up a case in which same-sex couples asked for the right to marry, saying it needs to wind its way through the lower courts first. Goldstein said there will be an announcement regarding the court case "imminently."
"Don’t think that for a second, we and others have not been at work behind the scenes preparing for the next step," he said. "I can assure you the conversation on marriage equality in the state of New Jersey is about to blast off once again and will be center stage."
In 2006, New Jersey became the third state to enact a law allowing same-sex partners to enter into civil unions, but gay marriage advocates say it has failed to give equal status to gay couples.
State Sen. Loretta Weinberg (D-Bergen), who co-sponsored the Senate bill with Raymond Lesniak (D-Union) last year, said she will reintroduce it only if she can secure a veto-proof majority.
"If we can garner enough votes and we know they will stand up to the socially ultraconservative governor sitting in the Statehouse … then I’m willing to start all over again," she said.
Weinberg said if Democrats could unseat Christie in 2013, a legislative solution would be much easier to achieve.
John Tomicki, president of the New Jersey Coalition to Preserve and Protect Marriage, said he was confident that the bill would not make any progress.
"I don’t believe it would have a chance," he said.
Staff writer Megan DeMarco contributed to this report.