Rhode Island to become tenth state to legalize same-sex marriage

Rhode Island is expected to become the tenth state to legalize same-sex marriage today. Governor Lincoln Chafee said that he is going to sign the bill into law.

CNN reports that the bill passed the state’s House and Senate last week and finally cleared some legal hurdles, allowing Chafee, an independent, to sign it today. Rhode Island follows in the footsteps of Iowa, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Washington. Same-sex marriage is also legal in Washington, DC.

“When I sign the Marriage Equality Act into law, I will be thinking of the Rhode Islanders who have fought for decades simply to be able to marry the person they love,” Chafee wrote in an oped for The New York Times Wednesday. “I will be thinking of how Rhode Island is upholding its legacy as a place founded on the principles of tolerance and diversity.”

He added that he has also considered the economic impact the decision will have. “With marriage equality becoming law tomorrow night in Rhode Island, we are sending a clear message that we are open for business, and that all are welcome. I hope that leaders in capitals across the country — including Washington — will soon realize that marriage equality is an issue where doing the right thing and the smart thing are one and the same,” he wrote.

The Human Rights Campaign notes that Chafee, a former U.S. senator for the state, has been for same-sex marriage since he was inaugurated.

Same-sex marriage is currently a topic being considered by the Supreme Court. The Court heard oral arguments on California’s Proposition 8 and the Defense of Marriage Act. A decision on the two cases isn’t expected until June.

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