Washington State Now Has Enough Votes to Enact Gay Marriage

Since this morning's post went up, Democratic Senator Mary Margaret Haugen (pictured at left) has released a statement that she will support passage of the Washington Senate version of the gay marriage bill. Should Haugen and others who have announced their support of passage of the bills, same sex marriage is all but assured since Governor Christine Gregoire supports the bills. While the haters NOM has pledge $250,000 to attack legislators that support the measure, such attempts at intimidation appear to be failing. KIRO-TV has details:

Haugen's announcement came has hundreds of people filled the capitol to advocate for and against gay marriage. State senators began considering the bill during a morning committee hearing.

In a statement, Haugen said, "I know this announcement makes me the so-called 25th vote, the vote that ensures passage. That's neither here nor there. If I were the first or the seventh or the 28th vote, my position would not be any different. I happen to be the 25th because I insisted on taking this much time to hear from my constituents and to sort it out for myself, to reconcile my religious beliefs with my beliefs as an American, as a legislator, and as a wife and mother who cannot deny to others the joys and benefits I enjoy."

Washington would become the seventh state to legalize same-sex marriages, following New York, Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont. Washington state has had a domestic partnership law since 2007, and a "everything but marriage" law since 2009.

Haugen said she took her time making up her mind to "to reconcile my religious beliefs with my beliefs as an American, as a legislator, and as a wife and mother who cannot deny to others the joys and benefits I enjoy. This is the right vote and it is the vote I will cast when this measure comes to the floor."

Opponents argued that the measure goes against traditional marriage and the Bible.

"You are saying as a committee and a Legislature that you know better than God," said Ken Hutcherson, pastor of Antioch Bible Church.

The National Organization for Marriage issued a statement Monday morning pledging a referendum campaign to fight any gay marriage law at the ballot.

My question again is: When is NOM going to be forced to disclose its funding sources? That information needs to come out NOW so that voters and citizens will really know who is behind the anti-gay hate campaign. As noted many times before, I would not be surprised to see the Catholic Church (and/or the Knights of Columbus) and Mormon Church's as big money contributors. Should that prove to be the case, then then next question is: When will they lose their tax exempt status?