NJ marriage equality bill to be introduced

New Jersey Democratic leaders are announcing today that they will introduce a marriage equality bill as the first bill in both houses of the state legislature.

The bill, if passed, faces a likely veto from Gov. Chris Christie, who opposes allowing same-sex couples to marry and favors civil unions, which the state already allows. As the Star-Ledger notes, the New Jersey Supreme Court in 2006 "ruled that same-sex couples were constitutionally entitled to all rights and benefits heterosexual couples get through civil marriage, but did not stipulate that these unions were 'marriages.'" Gay couples are in court claiming that civil unions do not provide equal rights and benefits.