News & Notes: New Jersey Assembly votes to legalize same-sex marriage

The State Senate had approved the bill on Monday by a vote of 24-16, and the bill will now be sent to Gov. Chris Christie.

However, in all likelihood, New Jersey will not become the seventh state to legalize gay marriage, since Christie is widely expected to veto the bill. After Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York signed a bill into law allowing same-sex marriage in his state in June, Christie said he would probably veto a similar bill if it came to his desk.

Instead, Christie has proposed holding a public referendum on gay marriage, allowing the citizens of New Jersey to decide whether or not to legalize it in November. The measure was introduced by Republican Sen. Kip Bateman of Somerset and has gained the support of University professor Robert George.

However, the legislature would have to approve such a motion in order to get it on the ballot. Democrats — who control both chambers — have vowed to block this motion, arguing that marriage is a constitutional right for all people and thus cannot be determined by a public referendum.