TRENTON -- Legislation to allow same-sex marriage in New Jersey cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee tonight after more than seven hours of emotional debate and testimony, setting the stage for a showdown in the full Senate.

Cheers erupted in the packed hearing room when the committee approved the bill 7 to 6.



The 10:06 p.m. vote came after more than 1,000 people flooded the Statehouse today in an effort to sway lawmakers’ opinions on one of the most controversial bills of the decade.

"The marriage equality movement in America starts again here, right here," Steven Goldstein, chair of the gay rights advocacy group Garden State Equality, said after the vote.

During the marathon hearing, opponents — including Orthodox Jews and Catholic officials — argued that same-sex marriage would damage religious freedom and is not needed because the state already permits civil unions. Supporters -- including civil rights leaders and legal experts -- said gay couples do not have equal rights without being allowed to marry.

"Like race, our sexuality isn’t a preference," said Julian Bond, chairman of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, who traveled from Washington, D.C., to testify. "It’s immutable, unchangeable and the Constitution protects us all from discrimination."

Senate committee hears emotional testimony on same-sex marriage bill

Weinberg said lawmakers should not base their votes on religious texts. "We are a country governed by laws that ensure equality and fairness for every individual," she said.

Pat Branigan of the New Jersey Catholic Conference said it’s the state’s responsibility to enforce the civil union statute, enacted in 2006, and investigate whether any "unfounded allegations" of discrimination against gay couples are true. "The state of New Jersey should educate the public and should enforce state laws that provide protection for same sex" couples, Branigan said.

Same-sex marriage advocates have mounted a last-ditch effort before Gov.-elect Chris Christie, who opposes the measure, takes office. Sen. Gerald Cardinale (R-Bergen), who opposes the bill, said if Corzine signs it before leaving office, he "would be turning a deaf ear to the voice of the electorate."

If the measure is enacted, New Jersey would be the sixth state to allow gay marriage. Residents in 31 states, most recently Maine, have rejected same-sex marriage in referendum votes.

In 2006, the state Supreme Court ruled that committed same-sex couples deserve the same rights and obligations as married people. Lawmakers legalized civil unions later that year, and gay rights organizations continued their push for same-sex marriage.

The New Jersey State Bar Association, the state’s largest lawyers organization, has said civil unions were "second-class legal status" for gay couples.

By Mary Fuchs and Chris Megerian/Statehouse Bureau

Bill