(CNN) — France’s top court ruled Friday that a bill permitting same-sex marriage and allowing gay couples to adopt children adheres to the constitution. President Francois Hollande is expected to sign the bill into law on Saturday. After the lower house of Parliament, dominated by Hollande’s governing Socialist Party, passed the bill last month, conservative…
The state of Minnesota made it a round dozen for marriage equality when it became the twelfth state to pass a marriage equality bill. Minnesota also became the first Midwestern state to do so legislatively as Iowa became a marriage equality state due to a decision by the state Supreme Court. Gov. Mark Dayton has…
(CNN) — Minnesota’s House of Representatives passed a bill that would legalize same-sex marriage, putting the Midwestern state in line to become the 12th nationwide to take that step. Rep. Karen Clark of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party of Minnesota sponsored the bill, which passed Thursday night by a vote of 75-59. Supporters celebrated on the steps…
By Ruben Navarrette Editor’s note: Ruben Navarrette is a CNN contributor and a nationally syndicated columnist with the Washington Post Writers Group. Follow him on Twitter: @rubennavarrette (CNN) — You wouldn’t think that gay rights would be on a collision course with immigration reform. After all, what does one of these things have to do…
WASHINGTON (CNN) — A top Senate Democrat has offered a pair of amendments to an immigration reform bill bolstering rights for same-sex couples, a politically risky move that threatens to shatter Republican support for the sweeping legislation. Vermont Sen. Patrick’s Leahy’s amendments would recognize same-sex marriages in which one spouse is an American, and also…
(CNN) — President Barack Obama supports a proposal to allow Americans to seek legal immigration status for same-sex partners, a plan that could undermine bipartisan support for comprehensive immigration reform. Obama indicated at a news conference in Costa Rica on Friday that the idea was “the right thing to do,” but acknowledged that such a…
(CNN) — Rhode Island became the tenth state in the nation to legalize same-sex marriage after the state legislature approved the measure on Thursday. Gov. Lincoln Chafee is expected to sign the bill at 5:45 p.m. ET. Last week both the Rhode Island House and Senate approved by large margins measures allowing same-sex couples to…
SACRAMENTO – The Senate today passed legislation authored by Sen. Mark Leno that reforms California’s drug sentencing laws for simple possession. SB 649 allows counties to significantly reduce incarceration costs by giving prosecutors the flexibility to charge low-level, non-violent drug offenses as misdemeanors instead of felonies. The bill also gives judges discretion to deem a non-violent…
(CNN) — Rhode Island was set to become the tenth state in the nation, and the last in New England, to legalize same-sex marriage Thursday as final legislation cleared procedural hurdles in the state legislature. Gov. Lincoln Chafee, an independent, has pledged to sign the bill immediately following its final passage. Last week both the…
WASHINGTON (CNN) — A prominent gay rights advocacy group says a key congressional Democrat will push for new rights for same-sex couples in the Senate’s immigration reform bill — a move which could undermine the legislation’s bipartisan support. According to a spokesman for Immigration Equality, Vermont Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy intends to offer an amendment…
