Marriage Equality Update

Promising news out of Rhode Island:

All five Republicans in the 38-member Rhode Island Senate – including Minority Leader Dennis Algiere of Westerly – plan to support the same-sex marriage bill backed by supporters of the issue, RIPR has learned. … [It] reportedly marks the first unanimous backing from a partisan legislative caucus in the US for same-sex marriage.

The state Senate’s judiciary committee this afternoon voted to allow the bill to reach the floor tomorrow. A reader adds:

If the Senate passes the bill, Rhode Island will be the next state to legalize marriage for all.  The Senate President is opposed to the bill but has indicated that she will still allow it to come to the floor, and it is expected to pass overwhelmingly.  Still, the big news is that it has the support of all GOP Senators.  As you always say, know hope.

Also, from Nevada:

Monday night, the Nevada Senate voted 12-9 to repeal the state’s constitutional amendment banning the recognition of same-sex couples’ marriages. That language would be replaced to recognize all marriages between two people, “regardless of gender.” As BuzzFeed’s Chris Geidner points out, the Senate is the first legislative chamber in the country to affirm the overturn of a marriage amendment.

The debate lasted over an hour, during which one Senator came out for the first time. Sen. Kelvin Atkinson (D) announced, “I’m black. I’m gay… I know this is the first time many of you have heard me say that I am a black, gay male.”

Update from a reader on late-breaking news out of Delaware:

You left out the Delaware House vote: 23 – 18 in favor! On to the Senate!