After New Jersey governor Chris Christie withdrew his legal opposition to gay marriage, his became the 14th state to legalize it on Monday. According to Charisma News, the governor’s decision to drop his opposition “removed a legal challenge that could have left those newlyweds in limbo until courts ruled on the appeal filed by Christie’s administration. That appeal was due to be heard in January.”
By a 2-1 margin, New Jersey voters in a poll earlier this month said Christie should drop the appeal. A statement from the governor’s office said, “Although the governor strongly disagrees with the court substituting its judgment for the constitutional process of the elected branches or a vote of the people, the court has now spoken clearly as to their view of the New Jersey Constitution, and, therefore, same-sex marriage is the law.”
Christie vetoed a gay marriage bill in 2012, but three weeks ago a superior court judge ruled in favor of couples who challenged the civil union law in the state, saying it unfairly restricted federal benefits which married couples are guaranteed.
