Govenor Plans to Road Block Bill

After weeks of refusing to comment on Vermont's Freedom to Marry Act, Republican Governor Jim Douglas has announced that if the bill passes the House of Representative vote on Thursday, March 26th, he will exercise his right to veto it.

Governor Douglas supports civil unions for same-sex couples, saying a New York Times article that the same state rights and benefits given to them in unions is enough. Douglas argues that the issue of same-sex marriage takes the focus off the bigger issues that are plaguing our country:

"During these extraordinary times, the speculation about my decision has added to the anxiety of the moment and further diverts attention from our most pressing issues, and I cannot allow that to happen."

What's fascinating to me is that in the same interview the governor speculates that the the legislative body would not have passed the bill in the first place if they did not think they would be able to override his veto. This makes me think that Douglas's veto is more a means for him to show that he does not support the measure, and to show his supporters that he is sticking to his guns. Even if his veto is overridden and put into law, he will have publicly opposed it.

The bill passed through the Vermont senate in a 26-4 vote on Monday, March 23.