Connecticut lawmakers vote to update same-sex marriage law; governor expected to sign

Conn. lawmakers pass update of gay marriage law

HARTFORD, Conn. — Connecticut state lawmakers have passed a bill that updates the state’s marriage laws to conform with a state court ruling allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry.

The House passed the bill Wednesday on a 100-44 vote. The Senate passed it earlier in the evening 28-7.

A spokesman for Gov. M. Jodi Rell says she will sign the bill into law. Rell, a Republican, has said she believes marriage is between a man and a woman.

The bill redefines marriage as the legal union of two people. Connecticut law has previously defined marriage as the union of one man and one woman.

The bill also transforms civil unions into marriages as of Oct. 1, 2010, unless they’ve been annulled or dissolved.