Washington state moves on marriage

The Governor of the US state of Washington has announced that she will introduce a marriage equality bill during an upcoming special session of the state legislature.

In a filmed statement, Governor Christine Gregoire borrowed the phrase used in Australia’s internationally renowned marriage equality ad campaign in her bid to garner support for the law change.

“It is time,” she said.

“It’s over time for us to ensure gay and lesbian couples have equal rights, and that means marriage in Washington state.”

Bordering Canada in the country’s north-west, the state already has a domestic partnership law granting many of the benefits similar to marriage.

“I don’t think about the legal protections of a marriage license,” Gregoire said.

“Instead I think about love, I think about commitment.”

Democrats control both the state Senate and House in Washington, which increases the chances that any marriage bill would pass.

Gregoire dismissed criticism that the new push would distract from solving the state’s budget crisis.

“One thing I think would be reprehensible is the idea that we would say to someone, ‘I’m sorry, we’re going to discriminate and deny you equality because we have a budget problem,'” she said.

“That makes no sense to me. This is about our values.”

A coalition of marriage equality had been quietly lobbying Washington politicians for change during the past year.

If the law passes, Washington would be the seventh state in the US to legalise gay marriage, after Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York.

Watch the Governor’s full statement below.