equal rites

Chris Christie Celebrating First Day of N.J. Gay Marriage by Calling Off Appeal

Cindy Meneghin, second from right, hugs her attorney Hayley Gorenberg during a rally at Garden State Equality in Montclair, N.J., hours after a Superior Court Judge ruled that New Jersey is unconstitutionally denying federal benefits to gay couples and must allow them to marry Friday, Sept. 27, 2013. Meneghin has been with her partner, Maureen Kilian, left, for 39 years. Judge Mary Jacobson ruled it legal for gay couples to marry in the state beginning Oct. 21, 2013. The ruling comes after a group of gay marriage supporters sued the state in July, days after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down key parts of a law that blocked the federal government from granting benefits to gay couples.
Photo: Julio Cortez/AP/Corbis

RINO! Just kidding — he’s just decided to respect the law. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie announced this morning that he has officially withdrawn the state’s appeal in the case that allowed same-sex marriages to begin this morning. The appeal was scheduled to be heard in state Supreme Court early next year.

This morning Governor Christie advised Acting Attorney General John Hoffman to withdraw the State’s appeal in the matter of Garden State Equality vs. Paula Dow,” the governor’s office said in a statement. “Chief Justice Rabner left no ambiguity about the unanimous court’s view on the ultimate decision in this matter when he wrote, ‘same-sex couples who cannot marry are not treated equally under the law today.’” In other words, there was no winning this one.

Although the Governor strongly disagrees with the Court substituting its judgment for the constitutional process of the elected branches or a vote of the people, the Court has now spoken clearly as to their view of the New Jersey Constitution and, therefore, same-sex marriage is the law,” according to the statement. “The Governor will do his constitutional duty and ensure his Administration enforces the law as dictated by the New Jersey Supreme Court.”

Expect this to come up in the 2016 Republican primary, but don’t expect it to matter much.

Chris Christie Calls Off Gay-Marriage Appeal