Days after new Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee (CHAY’-fee) called on lawmakers to swiftly legalize gay marriage, a House lawmaker says he’ll introduce a bill to do so.
Rep. Art Handy says he’ll reintroduce legislation on Thursday that died last year. He says he has at least 27 co-sponsors, including House Speaker Gordon Fox, a fellow Democrat, and is more optimistic than in previous years, when Republican Gov. Don Carcieri (kuh-CHEER’-ee) was in office and opposed such legislation.
Handy says a similar bill will be introduced in the Senate.
Democratic Senate President Teresa Paiva Weed opposes gay marriage, but her spokesman, Greg Pare, said on Thursday she would not block a vote on the legislation, and would allow it to go through the normal committee process.
