D.C. lawmakers have moved forward with a proposed same-sex marriage bill.
On Tuesday, city council members from the Committee on Public Safety and the Judiciary approved the bill 4-1, and it now goes to the full council.
The committee held two public hearings on the bill after it was introduced in early October and heard from more than 250 people who supported or opposed the bill.
The committee revised the bill, which now states that churches and other religious organizations cannot be forced to rent out their facilities for same-sex weddings. The measure already stated that clergy cannot be required to perform such marriages.
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The full, 13-member council is expected to vote on the bill in December.
The council is expected to pass the bill — eleven of the 13 council members have gone on record as saying they will vote for the bill — and Mayor Adrian Fenty has said he would sign it.
If it survives a 30-day congressional review period, same-sex marriage bill could become legal in the nation’s capital early next year.
