New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie defended his opposition to gay marriage and blasted the Supreme Court’s ruling on the issue as a “bad decision” and an example of judicial overreach.
Christie — the popular Garden State executive who is considered a shoo-in for re-election this fall and considered a top GOP contender for the 2016 presidential nomination — stood by his previous veto of gay marriage legislation. He’s offered a compromise: Having voters decide whether to approve gay marriage in a statewide referendum.
“What I’ve said all along is what I said when I vetoed the last one, ‘Let the people decide,’” Christie said on the Town Square Media “Ask the Governor” radio program.
“You’re talking about changing an institution that’s over 2,000 years old. The Democrats are putting an increase in the minimum wage on the ballot. That’s important enough to put on the ballot but gay marriage is not?’’
Christie rapped the Supreme Court ruling that tossed out the federal Defense of Marriage act — which defined marriage as between a man and a woman and limited certain federal benefits to heterosexual couples.
“It’s just another example of judicial supremacy rather than having a government run by the people we actually vote for,” Christie said.
“I thought it was a bad decision, but it has no effect on New Jersey at all so we moved from here.
New Jersey does have a civil union law that provides the same legal rights to gay couples — but without the name. But energized gay marriage advocates intend to redouble legal efforts to overturn the existing state law, which they claim is inadequate.