Rep. Brien Submits Bill That Calls For Referendum On Same-Sex Marriage

Woonsocket Representative Jon D. Brien introduced a bill at the State House Thursday that would allow Rhode Island voters to decide what the state will recognize as marriage.

This is the fourth time in as many years that Rep. Brien has introduced the bill.  It would call for a 2012 ballot question on whether same-sex marriages should be recognized as legal in Rhode Island.

“Rhode Islanders have had the right to vote on ports, casinos, and even changing the name of the state,” said Brien in a press release, “Those issues pale in comparison to what the definition of marriage is, and should be, in the State of Rhode Island.”

Brien, a Democrat, who is against same-sex marriage, believes this issue is too contentious for state lawmakers to decide for themselves; instead it should be up to the people.

“Personally, I’m not supportive of the movement toward same-sex marriage,” he said, “But that is not what the bill is about, it is about letting the people decide for themselves.”

The bill faces significant opposition in the State House.  Speaker Gordon Fox opposes allowing the issue to go to a ballot, according to his communications director Larry Berman.

“He does not feel that civil rights issues should be for the voters,” said Berman, “He believes that they should be handled in a legislative arena.”

Speaker Fox, who is openly gay, is a sponsor of Bill 5012, which would allow same-sex couples to marry in Rhode Island.  That bill is currently in committee and a hearing will be heard on it next Wednesday, after that the committee will vote on it.  If the bill passes out of committee, it will hit the floor.

If the bill comes to the floor, Brien plans to add an amendment to it that will force the issue to a ballot.

“The Speaker doesn’t believe that it should go to referendum,” said Brien, “That’s one of the areas in which we part ways.”

Berman believes that Speaker Fox’s bill has a good chance of passing because it has Governor Lincoln Chafee’s support and polls have shown that Rhode Island would be receptive to legalizing same-sex marriage.

A 2008 survey conducted by Marriage Equality Rhode Island stated that nearly half of Rhode Island voters (49 percent) favor marriage rights for same-sex couples, compared to only 37 percent who oppose marriage equality.

Despite this, Rep. Brien, who represents Woonsocket, a city where many in the community have deep Catholic roots, believes that such a hot-button issue should be up to the people of Rhode Island to decide.

“This isn’t reactionary to what’s going on right now,” said Brien, “This is the right way for the state to decide what the definition of marriage is.”