House Passes Same Sex Marriage, 51-19

In an historic 51-19 vote, the Rhode Island House of Representatives approved a bill allowing same-sex marriage Thursday afternoon. The bill now goes to the state Senate, where leadership has said no action will be taken on it until spring.

Rep. Anthony Giarrusso (R-Dist. 30) of East Greenwich voted no.

"I ran on my traditional beliefs of a marriage being one woman and one man. I ran on that and I kept my word as I voted 'Nay' when the vote came up," Giarrusso said via email.

"I'm overwhelmed with the intensity of the debate on both sides in and out of the statehouse. In my opinion, the issue although it's important to many Rhode Islanders is off the radar in terms of the real issues that we face with unemployment, education, roads, bridges and a host of business and economic factors," he said. "Now that this vote is behind us, we can get to work on all these issues and hopefully I can put my 30 years of business experience to better use." 

“Obviously, this issue is about fairness and allowing all Rhode Islanders to have equal access to the rights and responsibilities that come with marriage, but marriage is about so much more than legal protections," said Rep. Art Handy  (D-Dist. 18, Cranston), the bill's primary sponsor. This was the 11th year Handy had introduced same sex marriage legislation.

"My wife and I have been married since 1997, and as we’ve worked together to raise our son, the value of having a committed, strong family has become more apparent to us over time. All Rhode Islanders deserve to enjoy that security and support, and deserve to have their family recognized as equal to others. It feels good to see how far we’ve come in Rhode Island toward valuing all families, and I know we are close to the day when marriage equality becomes law here."

Gov. Lincoln Chafee was also enthusiastic.

"There are certain legislative votes that can fairly be characterized as “historic.” The Rhode Island House of Representatives’ overwhelming passage of marriage equality legislation is one such vote," he said in a statement.

"I think most immediately of the pioneers of the House who have been working to achieve this goal for many years. Former state representatives such as Michael Pisaturo, who first introduced the Equal Access to Marriage Act in the mid-1990s, David Cicilline, who was the lone member of the House Judiciary Committee to vote in favor of marriage equality legislation in 2001, and Ray Sullivan. And current members such as Speaker Fox, Chairwoman Ajello, Deputy Majority Leader Ferri, and Chairman Handy, the bill’s longtime sponsor. I think also of activists such as the late Julie Pell, who certainly would have been encouraged to see this significant step forward."

Both Chafee and Handy noted that the bill faces challenges in the Senate. Senate President Theresa Paiva Weed opposes same sex marriage, as does Sen. Michael J. McCaffrey (D-Dist. 29, Warwick), chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, where the bill goes next.

Chafee concluded, "Although this vote is indeed historic, there is still a long way to go. Now that the House has swiftly acted, I urge Senate leadership to 'call the roll' – for our economy, for our gay and lesbian friends and neighbors, and for history."

The bill reiterates the right of religious institutions to set their own guidelines for marriage eligibility within their faith.

Rhode Island is the only New England state that does not allow same-sex marriage. Currently nine states and Washington, D.C., allow same-sex couples to marry.

To see how each legislator voted, click here.