Washington governor hails 'major step' as state approves gay marriage bill Washington governor Chris Gregoire, left, and congressman Jamie Pedersen celebrate the bill's passing. Photograph: Elaine Thompson/AP Washington state lawmakers voted to approve gay marriage on Wednesday, setting the stage for the state to become the seventh in the nation to allow same-sex couples to wed. The action comes a day after a federal appeals court declared California's ban on gay marriage unconstitutional, saying it was a violation of the civil rights of gay and lesbian couples. The Washington House passed the bill on a 55-43 vote. Supporters in the public viewing galleries stood and cheered as many on the Democratic side of the House floor hugged after the vote. The state Senate approved the measure last week, and the bill now goes to Democratic governor Chris Gregoire, who is expected to sign it into law next week. Gregoire issued a statement after the vote, saying it was "a major step toward completing a long and important journey to end discrimination based on sexual orientation." Democrat Jamie Pedersen, a gay lawmaker from Seattle who has sponsored gay rights bills in the House for several years, saying domestic partnership laws as the state has had for years, are "a pale and inadequate substitute for marriage." Pedersen, during his remarks on the House floor, read from Tuesday's ruling by the San Francisco-based ninth US circuit court of appeals, citing a section that stated "marriage is the name that society gives to the relationship that matters most between two adults." Several Republicans argued against the bill, saying that it goes against the tradition of marriage. Jay Rodne said the measure "severs the cultural, historical and legal underpinnings of the institution of marriage." Despite the action, gay couples can't begin walking down the aisle just yet. The proposal would take effect 90 days after the session ends next month but opponents have promised to fight gay marriage with a ballot measure that would allow voters to overturn the legislative approval. If opponents gather enough signatures to take their fight to the ballot box, the law would be put on hold pending the outcome of a November election. Opponents must turn in more than 120,000 signatures by June 6 if they want to challenge the proposed law. Otherwise gay couples could wed starting in June. Two Republicans crossed the aisle and voted in favour of the bill. Three Democrats voted against it. Democrats hold a 56-42 majority in the House. Washington state has had domestic partnership laws since 2007, and more than a dozen other states have provisions, ranging from civil unions to gay marriage, supporting same-sex couples. Gay marriage is legal in New York, Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and Washington DC. Lawmakers in New Jersey are expected to vote on gay marriage next week, and Maine could see a gay marriage proposal on the November ballot. Proposed amendments to ban gay marriage will be on the ballots in North Carolina in May and in Minnesota in November. Washington state's momentum for same-sex marriage has been building and the debate has changed significantly since 1998, when lawmakers passed Washington's Defense of Marriage Act banning gay marriage. The constitutionality of that law ultimately was upheld by the state Supreme Court in 2006. But earlier that year, a gay civil rights measure passed after nearly 30 years of failure, signalling a change in the legislature. The quick progression of domestic partnership laws in the state came soon after, with a domestic partnership law in 2007, and two years of expansion that culminated in 2009 with "everything but marriage" expansion that was upheld by voters. In October, a University of Washington poll found that an increasing number of people in the state support same-sex marriage. About 43% of respondents said they support gay marriage, up from 30% in the same poll five years earlier. Another 22% said they support giving identical rights to gay couples, without calling the unions "marriage." If a challenge to gay marriage law was on the ballot, 55% said they would vote to uphold the law. And 38% said they would vote to reject a gay marriage law. Same-sex marriage also has the backing of several prominent Pacific north-west businesses, including Microsoft, Nike and Starbucks.