Editorial: California can’t afford to let up on gay rights

On Tuesday, Vermont became the fourth state to legalize gay marriage, after forward-thinking states Connecticut, Massachusetts and Iowa. Vermont and California were the first two states to recognize civil unions for same-sex couples.

Some Vermont legislators were displeased by the outcome of the votes: 100-49 in the House, 23-5 in the state Senate.

Gov. Jim Douglas vetoed the measure, and later said he was disappointed that the state had spent so much time discussing the issue as opposed to the economy or unemployment rates.

But the government can’t let the recession take precedence over every single other measure. Once the economy recovers, society will face all the same issues it did before stocks tanked.

It’s important to keep moving forward with laws that don’t directly relate to dollar signs.