The Burlington Free Press from Burlington, Vermont • 5

The Burlington Free Press Friday, April 3, 2009 www.burlingtonfreepress.com SA MARRIAGE: House passes same-sex bill "God made me gay. I begged him not to make it so. I stand because nobody should be ashamed of how God made them." Rep. Steve Howard, D-Rutland f- a f' i tt ia. 1 K-mr Statehouse in Montpelier on had packed lunches and spent the day waiting through several hours of debate on the 2010 state budget.

Nina Beck of South Burlington was one of them. She and partner Stacy Jolles were plaintiffs in the court case that brought about civil unions nine years ago. Beck attended with 9-year-old son Seth, who was a baby during that debate. "I'm very excited," Beck said. "Civil unions we said was a very good step in the Continued from Page 1A the time to give civil unions a respectful burial." like Lippert, several legislators who are gay or who have gay family members spoke emotionally of their own circumstances.

"I didn't choose to be gay," Rep. Steve Howard, D-Rutland, said. "God made me gay. I begged him not to make it so," he said. "I stand because nobody should be ashamed of how God made them." With his voice breaking from emotion, Rep.

Jason Lorber, D-Burlington, described seeing the notice about his union with his partner under the heading "civil union" in the newspaper. "Why do we have to be off to the side?" Lorber said. "Why do we have to say you are different? Why can't we just say congratulations?" Rep. Tim Jerman, D-Es-sex Junction, said he hopes his daughter, a lesbian, will be able to come home to marry when the time comes. There were a few surprises from legislators.

Rep. Kurt Wright, R-Burlington, 4 said he was undecided going into the debate. Quoting a letter from former Sen. Peter Brownell, who lost his seat over civil unions but didn't regret his support, Wright said he would support the bill. Other legislators spoke ahmit wViv thpv rnnlH nnt support the bill.

"It's not easy to speak against this bill," said Rep. Thomas Koch, R-Barre. "Marriage in my understanding has for the ages Same-sex marriage How the Vermont House voted on a bill to allow same-sex marriage. The vote was 95-52 in favor of the vote. Yes (95) Janet Ancel, D-Calais; Peg Andrews, D-Rutland City; Bill As-wad, D-Burlington; Charles Bohi, D-Hartford; Bill Botzow, D-Pownal; Christopher Bray, D-New Haven; Mollie Burke, P-Brattleboro; Margaret Cheney, D-Norwich; Alison Clarkson, D-Woodstock; Jim Condon, D-Colchester; Chip Conquest, D-Newbury; Sarah Copeland-Han-zas, D-Bradford; Gale Cour-celle, D-Rutland City; Susan Davis, P-Washington; David Deen, D-Westminster; Anne Donahue, R-Northfield; Johan-nah Donovan, D-Burlington; Sarah Edwards, P-Brattleboro; Alice Emmons, D-Springfield; Michael Fisher, D-Lincoln; Bill Frank, D-Underhill; Patsy French, D-Randolph; Eldred French, D-Shrewsbury; Frank Geier, D-South Burlington; Gary Gilbert, D-Fairfax; Maxine Grad, D-Moretown; Adam Gre-shin, l-Warren; Sandy Haas, P-Rochester; Helen Head, D-South Burlington; Martha Heath, D-Westford; Mary Hooper, D-Montpelier; Stephen Howard, D-Rutland City; Richard Hube, R-Londonderry; Tim Jerman, D-Essex; Willem Jew-ett, D-Ripton; Mitzi Johnson, D-South Hero; Kathleen Kee-nan, D-St.

Albans City; Warren Kitzmiller, D-Montpelier; Tony Klein, D-East Montpelier; Patti Komline, R-Dorset; Diane Lan-pher, D-Vergennes; Mark Larson, D-Burlington; Joan Lenes, D-Shelburne; Lucy Leriche, D-Hardwick; Bill Lippert, D-Hines-burg; Jason Lorber, D-Burlington; Terry Macaig, D-Williston; Steven Maier, D-Middlebury; John Malcolm, D-Pawlet; Ann Manwaring, D-Wilmington; been one man and one woman. Now we take it upon ourselves to change that definition." Rep. Albert "Sonny" Au-dette, D-South Burlington, apologized for voting no. As a Catholic, he said, he could not vote to change marriage. Efforts to derail the bill failed.

Rep. Robert Helm, R-Castleton, argued for putting the issue to an advisory public referendum next March, asserting that the public has not had sufficient time to debate the issue. The measured failed by a vote of 96-52. Rep. Anne Donahue, R-Northfield, succeeded in amending the bill to clarify the distinction between civil and religious marriage.

She was among five Republicans who voted for the bill. She was joined by Wright and Reps. Rick Hube, R-South Londonderry, Patti Komline, R-Dor-set and Heidi Scheuermann, R-Stowe. Eleven Democrats voted against the measure. It was unclear Thursday roll call Richard Marek, D-Newfane; Cynthia Martin, D-Springfield; Linda Martin, D-Wolcott; Jim Masland, D-Thetford; Jim McCullough, D-Williston; Virginia Milkey, D-Brattleboro; Alice Miller, D-Shaftsbury; Sue Minter, D-Waterbury; Mark Mitchell, D-Barnard; Anne Mook, D-Bennington; John Mo-ran, D-Wardsboro; Mike Mro-wicki, D-Putney; Floyd Nease, D-Jonnson; Betty Nuovo, D- Middlebury; Anne O'Brien, D-Richmond; Michael Obuchow-ski, D-Rockingham; Scott Orr, D-Charlotte; Carolyn Partridge, D-Windham; Kathy Pellett, D-Chester; Peter Peltz, D-Wood-bury; Paul Poirier, D-Barre City; Ann Pugh, D-South Burlington; Kesha Ram, D-Burlington; John Rodgers, D-Glover; Heidi Scheuermann, R-Stowe; Ernest Shand, D-Weathersfield; Dave Sharpe, D-Bristol; Megan Smith, D-Mendon; Kristy Spengler, D-Colchester; William Stevens, l-Shoreham; Tom Stevens, D-Waterbury; Donna Sweaney, D-Windsor; Tess Taylor, D-Barre City; George Till, D-Jericho; Kitty Toll, D-Danville; Larry Towns-end, D-Randolph; Ira Trombley, D-Grand Isle; Linda Waite-Simpson, D-Essex; Kate Webb, D-Shelburne; Rachel Weston, D-Burlington; Jeff Wilson, D-Manchester; Suzi Wizo-waty; D-Burlington; Kurt Wright, R-Burlington; John Ze-nie, D-Colchester; David Zuck-erman, P-Burlington BROWN JORDAN luxury leisure furnilure since 1945 More than 200 opponents of the Rev.

Craig Bensen (right) night whether supporters of the bill could muster the 100 votes that would be needed to override a veto that Gov. Jim Douglas has said is coming. Some Democrats who voted against the bill have said they would change course and vote for an override. The House holds a final vote on the bill today. It then goes to the Senate, which passed the bill 26-4 last week, but would need to either concur with changes the House made or work the differences out in confer- No (52) Joe Acinapura, R-Brandon; Steven Adams, R-Hartland; David Ainsworth, R-Royalton; Kenneth Atkins, D-Winooski; Sonny Audette, D-South Burlington; Joseph Baker, R-West Rutland; Clem Bissonnette, D-Winooski; Carolyn Branagan, R-Georgia; Patrick Brennan, R-Colchester; Cynthia Browning, D-Arlington; Bill Canfield, R-Fair Haven; Gregory Clark, R-Ver-gennes; John Clerkin, R-Hart-ford; Howard Crawford, R-Burke; Tim Corcoran, D-Ben- nington; Michel Consejo, D-Sheldon; Dennis Devereux, R-Mount Holly; Eileen Dickinson, R-St.

Albans Town; Andrew Donaghy, R-Poultney; Debbie Evans, D-Essex; Peter Fagan, R-Rutland City; Peg Flory, R-Pittsford; Robert Helm, R-Castleton; Mark Higley, R-Low-ell; Richard Howrigan, D-Fair-field; Ronald Hubert, R-Milton; William Duncan Kilmartin, R-Newport City; Thomas Koch, R-Barre Town; Joseph Krawczyk, R-Bennington; Leigh Larocque, R-Barnet; Richard Lawrence, R-Lyndori; Robert Lewis, R-Derby; Michael Marcotte, R-Coventry; Norman McAllister, R-Highgate; Patricia McDonald, R-Berlin; Francis McFaun, R-Barre Town; James McNeil, R-. Rutland Town; John Morley, R-Barton; Mary Morrissey, R-Ben-nington; Linda Myers, R-Essex; Chuck Pearce, R-Richford; Janice Pe'aslee, R-Guildhall; Peter Perley, R-Enosburg; David Potter, D-Clarendon; Gary Reis, R- GLENN RUSSELL, Free Press Thursday. They listened as right direction. We've kept working for After the vote, Beck said, "It's fabulous," but added, "we have a way to go." Molly Jesse of Essex came to the Statehouse with friends to show her opposition to the bill. "It takes away from the sanctity of the marriage vow," she said.

"I can't sit around and watch our marriage fall into this abyss." Contact Tern' Hallenbeck at 651-4887 or thallenbbfp.burling-tonfreepressicom Please join us for an 985-5300 2438 Shelburne Shelburne, same-sex marriage rally at the spoke. ence committee to send the bill to the governor. Douglas would have five days from receipt of the bill to act on it, but has said he plans to veto it quickly. Beth Robinson, who led the push for the bill with the Vermont Freedom to Marry Task Force, counseled supporters after the vote that they need to keep calling people and knocking on doors to persuade lawmakers to vote for an override. The House chamber was filled with supporters and opponents, some of whom St.

Johnsbury; Brian Savage, R-Swanton; Robert South, D-St. Johnsbury; Donald Turner, R-Milton; Scott Wheeler, R-Derby; Phillip Winters, R-Wil-liamstown Jeff Young, D-St. Albans City Did not vote Patricia O'Donnell, R-Vernon; Shap Smith, D-Morristown (speaker); Richard Westman, R-Cambridge. Kinnsm DRUGS' Saturday, 0 April 4,2009 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

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