In brief: N.J. governor vows gay marriage veto
Trenton, N.J. – Republican Gov. Chris Christie vowed Tuesday to veto a gay marriage bill under consideration in the Legislature, upending Democrats’ plans to revive a measure that failed two years ago and attempting to force lawmakers to put the issue on the ballot instead.
Recent polls show a majority of New Jerseyans support the right of same-sex couples to wed.
Democrats who control the Legislature say the issue is one of civil rights; like a woman’s right to vote or anti-discrimination measures, it doesn’t belong on the ballot. With Christie seeking a referendum and Democratic leaders resisting, a protracted political standoff is likely.
Christie had said as recently as Monday he would consider the issue if the bill gained momentum in the Legislature, but then made his first explicit promise to veto the bill after a town hall event Tuesday in Bridgewater.
Idaho Falls man enters not guilty plea
Washington – An Idaho man accused of firing shots at the White House pleaded not guilty Tuesday to charges that he tried to assassinate President Barack Obama.
A lawyer for Oscar Ramiro Ortega-Hernandez entered the plea on his client’s behalf during a brief appearance in U.S. District Court in Washington. Ortega did not say anything during the proceedings and will remain held without bond. He has another court date next month.
Prosecutors say Ortega used an assault rifle with an attached scope to fire a series of shots at the White House from long range on the night of Nov. 11. Obama and his wife, Michelle, were out of town at the time. In the months before the shooting, investigators say, he had had become obsessed with Obama, referred to him as the anti-Christ and told at least one person that he planned to “take care of” the president.
Ortega, of Idaho Falls, Idaho, was indicted last week on 17 counts including trying to assassinate the president, transporting a firearm across state lines and assaulting officers or employees of the United States with a deadly weapon.