Legislature edged closer to having enough support to legalize gay marriage Thursday as major businesses declared their approval and a conservative Democrat who once opposed same-sex marriage said he will now vote for it.
The state Senate is now just one vote shy of having enough backing to approve the bill, with a half-dozen lawmakers remaining uncommitted. Microsoft Corp. is among several prominent businesses that are publicly supporting the measure, with general counsel Brad Smith saying in a blog posting that the bill would "be good for our business and good for the state's economy."
"As other states recognize marriage equality, Washington's employers are at a disadvantage if we cannot offer a similar, inclusive environment to our talented employees, our top recruits and their families," Smith said. Six other states allow gay marriage.
Sen. Jim Kastama of Puyallup announced his decision to support gay marriage in a press conference Thursday, becoming the 24th senator to commit a vote to the measure. The state House is widely expected to have enough support to pass gay marriage, and Gov. Chris Gregoire publicly endorsed the proposal earlier this month.
Kastama voted in 1998 for a law defining marriage as between one man and one woman. In 2009, he supported an expansion of the state's domestic partnership laws.
Smith noted that gay marriage is legal in six other states, including Massachusetts and New York. California’s gay-marriage laws are still tied up in court, after one federal judge overturned a previous gay-marriage ban.
In a short statement on its Facebook page, Vulcan said supporting gay marriage “is part of our company’s core values, which include appreciation and support for employees with diverse backgrounds. We believe that everyone has the right to be valued on their merits and contributions, not on their sexual orientation.”
Microsoft’s support for gay marriage in Washington is hugely significant.
Legislators in Olympia are now just one vote shy of being able to pass a bill legalizing civil marriages for same-sex couples, and one of the state senators representing parts of Microsoft’s hometown of Redmond, Republican Andy Hill, has been among the undecided.
As a humongous publicly traded corporation with tens of thousands of employees, Microsoft also has to sound a bit of a cautious note, saying that it respects the views of employees who might disagree with the company’s embrace of gay marriage rights.
The state Senate is now just one vote shy of having enough backing to approve the bill, with a half-dozen lawmakers remaining uncommitted. Microsoft Corp. is among several prominent businesses that are publicly supporting the measure, with general counsel Brad Smith saying in a blog posting that the bill would "be good for our business and good for the state's economy."
"As other states recognize marriage equality, Washington's employers are at a disadvantage if we cannot offer a similar, inclusive environment to our talented employees, our top recruits and their families," Smith said. Six other states allow gay marriage.
Sen. Jim Kastama of Puyallup announced his decision to support gay marriage in a press conference Thursday, becoming the 24th senator to commit a vote to the measure. The state House is widely expected to have enough support to pass gay marriage, and Gov. Chris Gregoire publicly endorsed the proposal earlier this month.
Kastama voted in 1998 for a law defining marriage as between one man and one woman. In 2009, he supported an expansion of the state's domestic partnership laws.
Smith noted that gay marriage is legal in six other states, including Massachusetts and New York. California’s gay-marriage laws are still tied up in court, after one federal judge overturned a previous gay-marriage ban.
In a short statement on its Facebook page, Vulcan said supporting gay marriage “is part of our company’s core values, which include appreciation and support for employees with diverse backgrounds. We believe that everyone has the right to be valued on their merits and contributions, not on their sexual orientation.”
Microsoft’s support for gay marriage in Washington is hugely significant.
Legislators in Olympia are now just one vote shy of being able to pass a bill legalizing civil marriages for same-sex couples, and one of the state senators representing parts of Microsoft’s hometown of Redmond, Republican Andy Hill, has been among the undecided.
As a humongous publicly traded corporation with tens of thousands of employees, Microsoft also has to sound a bit of a cautious note, saying that it respects the views of employees who might disagree with the company’s embrace of gay marriage rights.
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