Gay marriage debated at General Assembly

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) -- Supporters of gay marriage are hoping national momentum behind gay marriage laws help make this the year Rhode Island joins the rest of New England in allowing same-sex couples to wed.

Lawmakers in both the House and Senate introduced bills to legalize gay marriage in the state during the first week of the 2013 legislative session. House Speaker Gordon Fox says he wants the House to vote on the matter this month.

The Senate is likely to determine the outcome, however, and both sides of the debate are preparing for what they say will be a close and hard-fought political battle.

Voters in Maine, Maryland and Washington passed gay marriage referendums last fall, joining six other states and the District of Columbia as places that allow gays to marry.