Vt. Gov. opposes gay marriage bill

Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas says he will oppose legislation allowing same-sex marriages - a move likely to scuttle the bill expected to be introduced in January. Vermont Senate Majority Leader John Campbell said earlier this week he would file the bill - to amend the state's civil union law to provide for full marriage - in the new session of the legislature. But Campbell said the measure's success with fellow lawmakers would depend on the governor's support. Douglas said Thursday that civil unions are adequate and that the legislature should be focusing on the economy. "I think the current civil union law is sufficient," Douglas said. "It accords equality of rights to Vermonters in terms of their relationships and I think we should leave the law as it is." Vermont Freedom to Marry Task Force chair Beth Robinson called the governor's position unfortunate and said it implies he believes lawmakers can only deal with one issue at a time. "The Legislature can absolutely do more than one thing at once," Robinson told The Associated Press. "The notion that working on civil rights takes away from these other issues really is a false one." Vermont was the first state in the country to legalize civil unions in 2000. Last year, an 11-member commission was set up by the leaders of the Vermont House and Senate, both Democrats, to look into Vermont's civil unions law to see if it is providing equality for gay and lesbian couples. It submitted its report to the legislature in April, but made no recommendations on revising the law to allow for same-sex marriage. The Vermont Commission on Family Recognition and Protection detailed months of hearings it held throughout the state, where same-sex couples complained they were still discriminated against because employers, hospitals and insurance companies do not see their relationships as the equivalent of marriage. The commission was chaired by former state Rep. Tom Little (R). Little was chairman of the House Judiciary Committee when it passed the law legalizing civil unions in 2000. Little said the commission purposely decided not to include recommendations in the report. "That's a decision for Vermont's elected officials," Little said at the time. A public opinion survey earlier this year found that the majority of people in the state believe gay and lesbian couples should have the right to marry. Earlier this week, the Boston-based group that won equal marriage rights in Massachusetts and Connecticut announced an ambitious plan to fight for equal marriage throughout New England and predicted success in the four additional states by 2012. Meanwhile, police are investigating a death threat against Campbell over his gay marriage bill. The threat was made by an anonymous woman angry over the proposed bill who telephoned Campbell. Campbell said she threatened to blow up his home. Campbell said the threat was not just against him but also his family.