Gay marriage could soon become the law of the land across New England--except in Rhode Island. Last week Maine became the fourth state in New England to legalize same-sex marriage, and New Hampshire's governor is deciding whether to sign similar legislation. Vermont lawmakers established gay marriage last month, following a path already set by Massachusetts and Connecticut.
The pace remains slower in Rhode Island, the nation's most heavily Roman Catholic state. Gay marriage bills have been introduced in the Statehouse for a decade, but none have advanced. State courts also seem unlikely to legalize gay marriage. A court refused in 2007 to grant a divorce to a lesbian couple married in Massachusetts.
