(Image source: WLUK)

BY KEVIN DUBOUIS

ANCHOR MEGAN MURPHY

Just a day after California struck down the state’s ban on gay marriage, Washington state lawmakers voted Wednesday to approve same-sex nuptials. WLUK reports the 55-43 vote in the House.

“Mr. Speaker there are 55 yeas, 43 nays, 0 excuse for not voting. Having received a constitutional majority in gross substitute Senate Bill 6239 is declared passed.”

Washington would become the seventh state in the nation to allow gay people to wed. Gov. Christine Gregoire is expected to sign the bill by next week. The Christian Post has her comments.

“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 … [W]e take a major step toward completing a long and important journey to end discrimination based on sexual orientation.”

Though two Republicans supported the bill on Wednesday, the opposition argued it goes against the institution of marriage. According to The Associated Press, Republican state Rep. Jay Rodne said that “it contravenes human nature and it will hurt families and children.”

CNN reports opponents want to take their fight against gay marriage to the ballot box.

“The National Organization for Marriage, which opposes the law, has said it will seek to gather the 120,577 signatures needed to put the issue to voters as a referendum in November.”

Otherwise, same sex couples could get married starting in June.

USA Today published an interactive map entitled “Where states stand on same-sex marriage.”

It shows that same-sex marriage is legal in New York, Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and the District of Columbia. And in this election year — the Washington legislature preceded several other votes expected across the country.

But The New York Times says “the issue may be more contentious elsewhere.”

“In North Carolina, voters will decide in May on a constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman. Minnesota will vote on a similar measure in November. Austin R. Nimocks, a lawyer who argues against same-sex marriage for the Alliance Defense Fund, noted that while some polls showed increasing support for gay marriage, voters had never approved it at the polls.”

And yet, 55% of people said they would vote to uphold the law if a challenge to the gay marriage bill were on the ballot in Washington.