US: New Jersey Governor says Supreme Court overturn of DOMA ‘was wrong’
The Governor of the US state of New Jersey has spoken out following the Supreme Court’s strike-down of the Defense of Marriage Act to say that it “was wrong”.
Governor Chris Christie has voiced his opposition to equal marriage, and has more than once said that he thinks the issue should go to referendum.
He vetoed an equal marriage bill which had passed last year, asserting that the issue should go before voters.
On yesterday’s decision by the US Supreme Court, Governor Christie said that the overturn of DOMA “was wrong”, and maintained that his position opposed to equal marriage in New Jersey was unchanged.
When asked how he would react if another equal marriage bill came his way, Christie simply said: “I’ll veto it”.
Wednesday’s DOMA ruling does not have an effect on states such as New Jersey, which does not currently recognise same-sex marriages, but it does add extra political pressure to do so.
“I believe the institution for 2,000 years has been between a man and a woman,” Christie said. “If you put it on the ballot and the people vote for it I am sworn to uphold the laws and the constitution of the state of New Jersey.”
