Gay Marriage Support Has Risks For GOP Lawmakers - Spokane, North Idaho News & Weather KHQ.com

Gay Marriage Support Has Risks For GOP Lawmakers

Posted: Updated:

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - As more state legislatures around the country vote to legalize same-sex weddings, an analysis of gay marriage votes in eight other states shows that the few GOP lawmakers who backed it often faced heavy consequences.
    
A gay marriage debate is likely to hit Minnesota's Legislature soon. The Illinois Senate voted Thursday to legalize gay marriage, sending the bill to the House. Similar debates are under way or could start soon in Rhode Island, Delaware, Hawaii and New Jersey.
    
In the eight previous states, only 47 Republicans out of hundreds voted for such bills since 2009. Only 21 are still in office. Some lost primaries, some retired and others were shunned by colleagues. In Illinois on Thursday, only 1 out of 19 Senate Republicans voted to make gay marriage legal.

(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

  • National News

  • Tuesday, May 21 2013 1:19 AM EDT2013-05-21 05:19:50 GMT
    WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama has declared a major disaster in Oklahoma.
    WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama has declared a major disaster in Oklahoma as the state recovers from a massive tornado that ripped through the Oklahoma City suburbs Monday, killing at least 51 people and flattening entire neighborhoods.

  • Monday, May 20 2013 7:31 PM EDT2013-05-20 23:31:45 GMT
    BOSTON (AP) - A judge has approved a defense request for federal prison records on the Boston Marathon bombing suspect.
    BOSTON (AP) - A judge has approved a defense request for federal prison records on the Boston Marathon bombing suspect.

  • Monday, May 20 2013 6:50 PM EDT2013-05-20 22:50:17 GMT
    LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - Authorities say a Kentucky teenager known as a jokester was strangled by a dog lead he put around his neck while playing with friends at the start of summer vacation.
    LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - Authorities say a Kentucky teenager known as a jokester was strangled by a dog lead he put around his neck while playing with friends at the start of summer vacation.
    •