Both sides eager to spend in NH's gay marriage fight

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg recently gave $50,000 to Standing Up for New Hampshire Families, a Concord group that backs gay marriage. And the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) plans to tap a nationwide donor base to spend $250,000 on television commercials and to donate to candidates who oppose gay marriage....

Union Leader • Feb 27, 2012

New Hampshire has logged 1,887 same-sex marriages

As of Friday, there have been 1,887 same-sex marriages recorded in New Hampshire, including 785 civil unions that converted to marriages after the state's same-sex marriage law took effect on Jan. 1, 2010. ...

Union Leader • Feb 27, 2012

NH: Change vowed in bill to repeal gay marriage

Bates said some lawmakers have expressed concerns about the "religious liberty" section of his bill, which would bar penalizing any "individual, corporation, entity, association, educational institution or society" for refusing to solemnize or treat as valid any civil union if that violates "their sincerely held religious or moral beliefs." ...

Union Leader • Feb 27, 2012

House panel puts gay marriage law repeal on hold

David Bates, R-Windham, the prime sponsor of HB 437, said at the public hearing, House leadership has agreed to back the bills next year. Gov. John Lynch has said he would veto any attempt to repeal the law....

Union Leader • Mar 4, 2011

NH: Equal marriage accord reached

The bill will be voted on next week, as the third piece of a three-part equal-marriage proposal. Two bills have already passed -- House Bill 436, the main bill, and HB 310, with technical changes -- but a third became necessary when Lynch said he would veto the bills unless extra protections for religious groups were added. Language in the two bills that exempted clergy from performing marriages t...

Union Leader • May 30, 2009

Senate panel OKs Lynch changes

The Senate Judiciary Committee today voted 3-2 to recommend greater legal protections for religious groups and institutions to win Gov. John Lynch's approval of gay marriage. The committee voted down an amendment proposed by Republican committee members to further protect businesses and individuals who oppose gay marriage because of their religious beliefs....

Union Leader • May 19, 2009

NH: House passes same-sex marriage, 178-167; bill now moves to governor's desk

The New Hampshire House sent the gay marriage bill to Gov. John Lynch for signature, voting to agree with Senate changes to the bill. House Bill 436, which extends the state's marriage laws to include couples of any sex, won House approval by a vote of 178-167. The bill's wording differs from the version the House passed in March, but its effect is basically the same. "Any person ... may marry a...

Union Leader • May 6, 2009