It's actually really complicated, MonkeyButter, since the House passed a better bill a few weeks ago. Basically, I read it not as a rejection of same-sex marriage per se, but as a rejection of Gov. Lynch. It does really suck that people are letting politics get in the way of healthy progress, but there it is.

It's not so stunning. The news was out a day or two ago that the Democrats in the house had removed the provisions that basically said that religious people didn't have to buy in -- that they weren't required to provide "married" housing to married gay couples, for example. While that was great news, it meant that the governor might not sign. So, back to the drawing board.

The religious protection thing was absolute bullshit and made the bill toothless. (Well, not toothless -- let's say half-toothed.) It's better that it eventually pass without those provisions, because it was going to be a big fight to remove them down the line.

Also, just so it's said:

RELIGIOUS PEOPLE DON'T NEED TO BE PROTECTED FROM MY MARRIAGE, MOTHERFUCKERS!

"A few people who would have voted for it were not present," Watters said.

It's pretty strange, but it looks to me more like flukes in the NH legislature. They need to get full attendance to pass this, and that means someone needs to whip a little harder. As a body, the House supported the more liberal version of the legislation, so this is a surprising shift. I suspect that the GOP did some strongarming after Lynch's last speech, and that combined with a couple of absences on the "pro" side made the difference. Well, we'll all be following it with interest and I certainly hope the House gets its act together for the next vote.

But Lynch has insisted that those provisions be included or he will veto.

OY! I guess I need to follow much more closely, I missed that the Dems removed the un-toothy part(s). Still makes me sad though.

on review . . . what Miko said.

OY! I guess I need to follow much more closely,

You're not alone, I'm finding it very hard to follow, and I'm watching from up close. The NH legislature is a pretty ridiculously complicated body to begin with, and the machinations around this bill are nutso.

Yea, I had a hard time finding anything on the net the other day.

"I think the New Hampshire public has grown very weary of this debate," Smith said. "He ought to veto."

Twisted logic there, boyo. If the public is weary of the debate, then pass the damn bill already. Otherwise, it is just going to keep coming up and taking time away from important considerations.

"I think the New Hampshire public has grown very weary of this debate," Smith said. "He ought to veto."

"I tire of your incessant cries for equality! Bore me no longer."

It's been a tough week for reasonable-minded Granite Staters like myself.

Lynch pulling out the "but what about protections for the objectors?!?" bit was to be expected, but for a while there, it looked like House democrats would take the pragmatic approach and call Lynch's bluff, even though the protections he was calling for were complete nonsense. (As has been pointed out by many folks smarter than me: You don't see priests shaking in their boots that they're going to get sued if they refuse a couple of Jewish folk the right to have an Orthodox ceremony in a cathedral.) Since then, though, something got really confused, and this weird vein of "if we're going to pass this thing, it better be RIGHT" started to get around the chambers. It's especially frustrating because this is giving the movement's opponents all the fuel they need to declare that this isn't something the people want.

It's sickening, and it's frustrating, and there's not much more that can be said to make it better other than that it's only a matter of time until we get this right.

this weird vein of "if we're going to pass this thing, it better be RIGHT" started to get around the chambers. It's especially frustrating because this is giving the movement's opponents all the fuel they need to declare that this isn't something the people want.

I couldn't agree with that more. The language Lynch wanted let him grandstand but it didn't really impact anyone negatively; the legal marriage rights would remain the same for everybody. The "get this RIGHT" thing is unfortunate, because the people of the state thing are ready to see this pass, and were willing to let the opposition blow a lot of hot air in order to get the law to line up right. This is such a stupid delay.

"I think the New Hampshire public has grown very weary of this debate," Smith said. "He ought to veto."

This was exactly Gov. Douglas's phrase here in VT. "You guys are tiring people out with your cries for equality, can't we all get back to WORK?" but his veto was overridden, so fuck him, the hater.