The Washington State House of Representatives has passed gay marriage 55 to 43. Last week the Washington State Senate passed it 28 to 21. The bill will now go to Governor Gregoire who has vowed to sign it!!
Here's an official statement from Governor Gregoire:
This is truly a historic day in Washington state, and one where I couldn’t be more proud. With today’s vote, we tell the nation that Washington state will no longer deny our citizens the opportunity to marry the person they love. We tell every child of same-sex couples that their family is every bit as equal and important as all other families in our state. And we take a major step toward completing a long and important journey to end discrimination based on sexual orientation.
I commend our House members and thank Rep. Jamie Pedersen for sponsoring this bill. Our legislators showed courage, respect, and professionalism.
I look forward to signing this piece of legislation, and putting into law an end to an era of discrimination.
In this picture, Sen. Ed Murray (D-43) hugs Rep. Maureen Walsh (R-16), who voted yea and spoke about her lesbian daughter's right to marry. Rep. Walsh was one of two Republicans who broke party lines and voted for the bill.