Republican Mayor Dan Sullivan has chosen to veto a city ordinance which would have banned discrimination against the LGBT community in Anchorage.

“My review shows that there is clearly a lack of quantifiable evidence necessitating this ordinance,” the mayor said. “My review also shows that the vast majority of those who communicated their position on the ordinance are in opposition.”

Sullivan said he had received almost 2,500 comments as he was considering whether to let the measure stand.

The ordinance was the subject of intense public interest and debate all summer. The Assembly approved a compromise measure last week by a 7-4 vote.

The Assembly can override the mayor’s veto, but it needs eight votes to do so. The panel has 21 days to take up the issue again. The next opportunity will be at its next meeting, Aug. 25.

We had been thinking about taking a cruise up to Alaska now that Palin has thankfully resigned. Perhaps we need to rethink that idea.

Over the weekend the Nevada legislature by margins of 14-7 in the Senate and 28-14 in the Assembly voted to override a veto on a domestic partnership bill that granted both straight and same-sex couples many of the same rights and responsibilities available to married couples. Governor Jim Gibbons vetoed the bill believing “government has no business in your medicine chest or bedroom,” and because it went against the spirit of Nevada’s 2002 amendment declaring that marriage was only between a man and a woman.

In addition to protecting couples against discrimination, the new measure will bring parity with marriage on issues such as debt and property. The bill however does not force employers to offer health care and other benefits to domestic partners as is the case in California.

The new law goes into effect October 1.

The Vermont legislature made it official today! By a 23-5 margin in the Senate, and a 100-49 margin in the House, legislators overturned Governor Jim Douglas’ veto this morning, making Vermont the 4th state to legalize gay marriage.

Perhaps the comment below from a reader of the Burlington Free Press sums up the feelings of gay marriage opponents…

A sad, sad day for the state of Vermont. I am so ashamed of Vermont I never want to admit I grew up and lived there for over 50 years. I moved out of Vermont for economic reasons several years ago, always knowing I’d be back. But NEVER to that liberal cesspool ! The filthy perverts and leftist fools that run the state are welcome to it.

I think Vermont will be just fine without you.

Republican Vermont governor James Douglas has vetoed the gay marriage bill that recently passed both legislative houses. From his office…

“This legislation does not address the inequalities espoused by proponents. Regardless of whether the term marriage is applied , federal benefits will still be denied to same sex couples in Vermont. And states that do not recognize same sex marriage or civil unions will also deny state rights and responsibilities to same sex couples married in Vermont. This bill will not change that fact.

Vermont’s civil union law has afforded the same state rights, responsibilities and benefits of marriage to same sex couples. Our civil union law serves Vermont well and I would support congressional action to extend those benefits at the federal level to states that recognize same sex unions. But I believe that marriage should remain between a man and a woman.”

From WCAX in Vermont…

The Senate is expected to override the veto tomorrow morning. It is unclear what the House will do, and is currently shy the two thirds majority required to override the veto. The 11 Democrats who originally voted against the bill now support it, unhappy that the governor announced his intent to veto the bill before they had passed it.