New Jersey could boost its economy by more than half a billion dollars over the next three years by promptly legalizing same-sex marriage, a California law professor told a state commission yesterday.
Brad Sears, executive director of the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law, said gay weddings alone would pump $248 million into New Jersey's economy under a "very conservative" economic analysis. He said additional spending on gifts, overnight hotel stays by visiting friends and other items could boost the total to "a half billion dollars plus" over the next three years.
Sears testified before the New Jersey Civil Union Review Commission, which is exploring the economic impact of legalizing gay marriage. He said by legalizing only civil unions for same-sex couples, as it did in February 2007, New Jersey had incurred "all the costs without getting the main benefit" -- spending on wedding celebrations.
John Tomicki, chairman of the N.J. Coalition to Preserve and Protect Marriage, said that argument could justify polygamy.
But Marcia Van Wagner, a deputy comptroller for New York City, told the commission, "While the civil rights justification for civil unions and marriage equality is persuasive alone, there is a strong economic argument for legally recognized gay unions as well."
The commission was formed to advise the New Jersey Legislature, which has bills before it that would legalize same-sex marriage. The commission issued an interim report in February finding civil unions have not lived up to their promise of providing all the benefits of marriage by another name.
A poll last year indicated twice as many New Jerseyans "would be fine" with allowing gay couples to marry as would be upset if lawmakers enacted a marriage equality law, according to a new poll. (story)
Last year, the chairman of Garden State Equality, Steven Goldstein released the following comments to the media:
Regardless of whether any public official supports marriage equality or wants to maintain the state's failed civil unions law, no official in New Jersey can credibly say that marriage for gay couples is a divisive issue in the state.
Even voters who oppose marriage equality are ready to accept an upgrade of the state's civil unions law to real marriage equality.
Check out this great video from Garden State Equality:
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