TRENTON – Several Democratic sponsors of the marriage equality bill started off the discussions of the law today.

Sponsor Reed Gusciora, (D-15), Trenton, the first openly gay member of the Legislature, thanked Judiciary Committee Chairman Peter Barnes, (D-18), Edison, for posting “this monumental civil rights bill.” Barnes is undecided on the issue but will not stand in the way of a floor vote, sources said.

Gusciora noted that the state of Washington became the seventh state to legalize same-sex marriages. “Hopefully, New Jersey will be the eighth.”

He said he had a sidebar discussion with Republican Assemblywoman Holly Schepisi, (R-39), River Vale, before the committee meeting about her concerns that religious institutions would be forced to hold same-sex marriage ceremonies against their will. Two sources said this week that Schepisi was struggling with the issue, but that she is expected to vote against the bill. She did not answer calls to her office seeking comment.

Rebutting her concerns, Gusciora read aloud the provision in the bill allowing all religious communities to decide whether to allow the ceremonies. But Schepisi said afterward that it was the potential for lawsuits against the religious instituitons that concerns her, not their ability to opt-out of the same-sex ceremonies. 

He also referenced the war of words that erupted between himself and Gov. Chris Christie this past week, and said that regression of public discourse would be amplified by a referendum on marriage equality. “Imagine what will happen with a ballot question of this type,” he said.

Assemblyman John Wisniewski, (D-19), Sayreville, said, “No one’s civil rights should be subjected to a popularity contest.”

State Sen. Loretta Weinberg, (D-37), Teaneck, combated sentiments that the Democratic leaders should be focusing on jobs, not marriages. “We are all determined to make sure that it is very important to have equal justice under our laws…and at the same time we have to (continue) to concentrate on jobs and the rest of our economy.”

She spoke highly of new Assemblyman Tim Eustace, (D-38), Maywood, for his role as an openly gay lawmaker, but more importantly a family man and father. “How you can look at your colleague in the face and say you can’t vote for this.”

“You can have philosophical and religious differences on this,” she said, but the individuals that the law applies to are just “people that want a recognized family unit.”

“This is really family values,” she said.