After the November mid-term elections in New Hampshire resulted in an overhaul of approximately 200 Democratic seats in both state chambers, the Republican Party gained ample ground to undo many of the measures passed by the previously Democratic-controlled state legislature, including the legalization of same-sex marriage. A bill to repeal the measure is currently being drafted in the state House of Representatives and is a top priority on the Republican agenda across the nation, according to State Rep. Sharon Nordgren, D-Grafton.
Nordgren whose district includes Hanover said she is concerned that the repeal will ultimately pass in both the House and Senate.
"I know it will come to the floor of the House after many hearings," she said. "The repeal could pass the House, it probably will, it could definitely pass the Senate, but the question will be whether the governor chooses to veto it."
Gov. John Lynch, D-N.H., could not be reached for comment by press time. Lynch signed the state's same-sex marriage bill into law on June 2, 2009, The Dartmouth previously reported.
In each chamber, a two-third "super-majority" vote is required to override the veto, according to Nordgren.
"Our only fallback is the governor, and I don't know if we'll be able to hold onto his veto," she said.
State Rep. Steven Cunningham, R-Sullivan, said that the newly elected Republicans may vote against a repeal of the same-sex marriage law due to their different ideologies regarding civil liberties and constitutional issues.
"It is a possibility it will pass, but I'm not convinced that such an effort will be as popular amongst Republicans as some of the other conservative issues facing the Republican Party," Cunningham said. "I believe this year included a very large number of constitutional-oriented and libertarian individuals who chose to run under the Republican banner, embracing 80 percent of the Republican platform, but differ in areas of individual rights and issues enumerated in the constitution."
Some Republicans told their peers in the state House that they would not be comfortable voting for a repeal after they had already granted same-sex couples marriage equality, according to Nordgren.
The New Hampshire Senate has not yet drafted any repeal measure for the same-sex marriage law, and will consider the House's original bill after it is sent to the Senate at the end of March, according to Sen. Matthew Houde '91, D-Plainfield. "I know that there are fewer Democrats who will vote against the repeal, but at the same time I don't know what the new Republicans will do since we have not had that conversation yet in the Senate and I am reluctant to call it a partisan issue," he said.
State Sen. Nancy Stiles, R-Hampton, who originally voted against the legislation to legalize same-sex marriage in New Hampshire, said she has since seen no problem with the legislation and plans to vote against the repeal if it reaches the Senate.
"I think there is probably a fairly large-sized group who would [vote to repeal the bill], but I think we need to focus on the budget and spending," she said. "The world did not stop turning since the bill was passed so I would not be supportive of the repeal. The rights were given, and since then it has not been an issue so it should be left alone. It's a waste of time."
The passage of such a repeal could be a lengthy process, Nordgren said, but will likely be completed before this session concludes in June due it its "priority status." As same-sex marriage debates heat up in New Hampshire, Nordgren said she believes the issue will come into the national spotlight, particularly affecting the primaries for the 2012 presidential election.
"I assume Republicans will be weighing in on this issue," she said. "We would hope that they say it's a state issue and New Hampshire should decide for itself, but I doubt we can stop them from bringing it into their campaigns. Just to show their conservative credentials, a lot of them will be supporting that move."
If the same-sex marriage statute is repealed, Cunningham said he thinks many members of the Republican Party will feel alienated, ultimately hindering their campaigns for the 2012 presidential election.
"I think the Tea Party movement does primarily include those people who are very libertarian and constitutional, and if we were to remove gay marriage with no replacement, I think there are a large number of Republicans who would think it's inappropriate," he said.
Unless the repeal of same-sex marriage is passed by both New Hampshire chambers, the issue may be suppressed by candidates due to widespread interest in the national health care plan, according to Stiles.
"I don't know if they will be focusing on that as much as health care and cutting spending," she said. "I think a lot will depend on what happens with that House bill. If it gets passed all the way around, it may have a role to play in the presidential primary. If it doesn't go anywhere, I don't think it will be an important issue to the majority of candidates who will be focusing on health care."
According to Nordgren, the initiative to repeal marriage equality legislation will garner considerable attention from the media and conservative benefactors.
"There will be advertisements on television, and I think it will become a full-blown PR campaign, so it's going to be hard to deal," she said. "We already know of three or four organizations planning to spend a lot of money on the repeal, just as there was a lot of outside money used in the New Hampshire November elections."
Houde added that it would be a "surprise" if the debates focusing on same-sex marriage in New Hampshire did not garner widespread attention in the upcoming presidential election.
"New Hampshire is a live free or die' place," Houde said. "There are many people who want to be left alone, and the state respects that, so it would not be surprising if the issue here went on the national radar. People will be forced to address the issue when it comes time to campaign in New Hampshire."
New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair Ray Buckley and New Hampshire Republican Party Chair and former Sen. John Sununu could not be reached for comment by press time.
