Listen to him say so here, courtesy of VPR. And here’s video from WPTZ.

UPDATE: Here’s a statement from House Speaker Shap Smith and Senate Pro Tem Peter Shumlin.

Today, Governor Douglas announced his intention to veto S.115, which has not completed the legislative process.

“The governor’s announcement today undermines the legislative process is disrespectful to Vermonters who come to the people’s house to weigh in on the important matters of our time,” said Speaker Shap Smith. “History will judge Jim Douglas on the wrong side of this issue.”

“Today is a sad day for Vermont,” said Senate President Pro Tem Peter Shumlin. “The governor may choose to veto a bill, but he cannot veto love and commitment.”

This article appears in Mar 25-31, 2009.

Seven Days’ deputy publisher and co-owner Cathy Resmer is a writer, editor and advocate for local journalism. She works in the paper’s Burlington office and lives vicariously through the reporters while raising money to pay them. Cathy started at Seven Days as a freelance writer in 2001 and still has the Rolodex to prove it. As the paper’s first online editor, she launched Seven Days email newsletters and started the paper’s first social media accounts. Cathy has overseen Kids VT, Vermont’s...

23 replies on “Gov. Douglas Says He’ll Veto Same-Sex Marriage Bill”

  1. The Lake Champlain Chamber of Commerce, Vermont Business Round Table, and Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility all came out publicly in support of same-sex marriage.It’s time for the masses to be heard so our Governor can realize that in Vermont we do not discriminate.

  3. This should be an easy issue to resolve because the equations are simple. Expanding civil rights = right thing to do. Separation of church & state = constitutional. So sign already and we could move on to the economy. But I’m not surprised, just tremendously disappointed in this announcement, and resolved to do everything I can to defeat Douglas in the next election–and pass civil marriage in Vermont.

  4. I agree that people shouldn’t get caught up in frustrations and allow quiet tyrants to steer our society with a “veto” pen, but I would also like to say that I have never voted for him therefore “we” did not elect him…OK now that I have had my bitter indignation moment, I can move on to writing my reps in Montpelier about sticking it to Jim and finally have (more) equal rights for Vermonters.

  5. At first I had the knee jerk reaction of hating the decision. After re-reading his statement, my feelings are changing. I think by using his veto power the Gov is really turning the issue back to the Assembly to represent their people. Since the Republicans didn’t get their statewide referendum, they will instead turn this back, save face, and give the people the choice of what they want to do. It’s an additional hurdle to jump and doesn’t make me like Gov Douglas but I can understand why he made this decision which is not the one I would have made.

  6. What a dick.I don’t know what Gov Douglas’ problem is with equality but to say that he wants to veto because the economy should be the focus of the legislature is a total cop-out. If that is indeed the case then let them vote and move on. Gov Douglas’ announcement of veto has guaranteed that equal rights will become a “distraction” just as Douglas said it would.I wonder why Douglas doesn’t think my mom has the same right to happiness and security as other mom’s just because the person she loves is a woman.I’d like to say more but honestly I am so disappointed and angry I don’t trust myself to type any more.

  7. The only thing to do now is to lobby the House. Write, email, call. It’s hard work but THIS IS THE STUFF THAT WORKS. Look at Massachusetts and what they did there.Don’t hurl insults, don’t belittle. Organize.When they hear our stories, when they see our faces & families, when they know who we are they are much more likely to support us. History has proven this.Take heart, do the work, and be patient. Time and truth are on our sides. If not, Douglas would have had stronger arguments than the tired “this is a distraction from the budget/jobs work, our #1 priority”. If that was the case, he should have vetoed the sex offender laws last month since, that too, had nothing to do with jobs. Who’s really guilt of distractions here?He’s flailing because he has no arguments. But he doesn’t need them – he has the veto pen, and we gave it to him.It’s time to organize. Write, call, email, volunteer with Freedom to Marry. It’s not easy… but it’s not supposed to be.

  8. I’m shocked, but not really surprised. I’d hoped that this last minute, short-notice-no-live-coverage announcement meant that he was going to say that he wouldn’t veto, but wouldn’t sign it. He could’ve virtually guaranteed re-election if he at least did that. Dems and some liberals would’ve voted for him. As it is, if the veto is overridden, he may have a tough time.

  9. Well, we elected him. What did we expect? Can we throw him out next time, please, or is he just so folksy he deserves our votes?

  10. He was against Civil Unions. Now this. It is a very sad day for Vermont. What is so hard about equality?

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