Vermont allows same-sex marriage

Posted to Politics Watch by Andrew Denney at 11:59 a.m., April 7, 2009

Less than a week after Iowa became the first Midwestern state to allow the issuance of marriage licenses to same-sex couples, Vermont became the fourth state in the U.S. to allow such a practice.

To view the report from The Washington Post, click here, or here for a the report by The New York Times.

Vermont is the fourth state to allow same-sex marriage by legislative action. The other states to allow same-sex marriage did so through judicial action. The state's House and Senate initially approved the measure, but it was met with the Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas' veto pen. Both chambers of the legislature voted to override the veto with two-thirds majorities.

Vermont would have been the fifth state to approve same-sex marriage if California voters hadn't approved a ballot initiative in the 2008 election that amended the state's constitution to outlaw the practice. Massachusetts, Connecticut and Iowa allow same-sex marriage.

Last night, the Columbia City Council also took a step to enhance the rights of same-sex couples by unanimously approving a measure that would create a domestic partner registry in the city. Columbia joins Kansas City, St. Louis and Jackson County in municipalities that maintain registries. Click here to view the report by Maneater staffers Victoria Guida and Marty Swant.

Today, the city announced that couples who are both at least 18, mentally competent, not related and not married can begin registering at the Columbia/Boone Health Center at 1005 West Worley from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The cost to register is $25.