"A Few Things Have Changed"
Posted November 20, 2009

"…[B]ut a few things have changed."

With these words, Ben Dworkin, director of the Rebovich Institute of New Jersey Politics at Rider University, confirmed that the path to legalizing same-sex “marriage” in New Jersey – which seemed rather smooth just a few months ago – just got a lot bumpier.

Dworkin’s quote appeared on Wednesday in the Philadelphia Inquirer in a story titled “Push for same-sex marriage in N.J. faces uncertain future.”

Inquirer Staff Writer Cynthia Henry pens that amid hopes the New Jersey legislature would pass same-sex “marriage” before this legislative session wraps up, “the political winds have shifted.” Supporting this, Henry notes:

Assembly Speaker Joseph J. Roberts Jr. (D., Camden) and Senate President Richard Codey (D., Essex) said last week that they would allow the Legislature to debate a bill on marriage for gay and lesbian couples only if it were assured of passage. They will gauge support immediately after the Legislature returns on Monday, Roberts and Codey said.

Meanwhile, the Courier Post recently reported:

A New Jersey bill to allow gay marriage might not go to a vote in the Legislature before the session ends in January and Democratic Gov. Jon S. Corzine, who supports the measure, is succeeded by Republican Chris Christie, who does not.

State Sen. Paul Sarlo said he would not bring up the bill in the Judiciary Committee he chairs unless enough votes exist to pass it on to the full Senate. The Bergen County Democrat said that, currently, the bill does not have sufficient support in the committee for a recommendation to the Senate.

"Today, as I stand here, we do not have the votes in the Judiciary Committee," Sarlo said....

After suffering a crushing defeat at the hands of Maine voters on November 3 – a defeat which came on the heels of California voters’ banning same-sex “marriage” last year – it seems pro-same sex “marriage” advocates are loath to lose yet again. And their once-confident demeanor that same-sex “marriage” would win in New Jersey this year or early next has given way to the realization that support for it simply isn’t what they thought it was.

Dworkin cites the recent election as a primary reason support has slipped. Indeed, value voters were key in electing a candidate who stands firmly for marriage and has promised to veto any same-sex “marriage” bill that comes to his desk.

Also playing a pivotal role, though, has been the willingness of the people of New Jersey to take a stand, engage in the public policy arena, and send a clear message to our state’s elected officials that using the legislative chambers to radically redefine marriage is simply not acceptable.

Last December, the Trentonian carried an opinion piece by retired New Jersey Statehouse reporter Vince Zarate, who wrote that Governor Corzine, Senate President Richard Codey, and Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts agree that “it’s just a matter of time before same-sex marriages are legalized in New Jersey.”

Now, less than one year later, it looks like that “time” may just be running out – thanks to the people of New Jersey standing up, speaking out, and demanding the legislature not silence the will of the people but, instead, finally place this critical issue on the ballot and let the people decide.

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