New Jersey

After Governor Chris Christie's administration failed to established new guidelines for affordable housing, the New Jersey Supreme Court put judges in charge instead, NJ.com's Brent Johnson reports. Under the court's order, courts will decided on a case-by-case basis how many homes in a town should be available to low-income and moderate-income residents. Over 30 years ago, the state Supreme Court ruled that New Jersey municipalities must provide a fair share of affordable homes to low-income residents.

The governors of New York and New Jersey are both going to veto a bill that aimed to clean up political patronage at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the New York Times' Jesse McKinley reports. The bill was passed with broad support from legislators in both states. But the governors do support applying Freedom of Information Law to the port authority.

While New Jersey has authorized same-sex marriage through court action, Democrats in the New Jersey Senate were hoping to codify same-sex marriage by statute. But The Newark Star-Ledger reports "Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg said Sunday that she decided to follow the advice of Lambda Legal, a gay rights law group, to take the bill off the agenda." Lambda Legal disfavored the religious exemptions in the now-pulled legislation.

Even though same-sex marriage has been authorized in New Jersey in court decisions, "key Senate Democrats" are seeking to codify the court decisions, The Newark Star-Ledger reports. Legislators want to protect the right to same-sex marriage from being removed by future courts. For example, state Sen. Raymond Lesniak (D-Union), told the newspaper that one of the rationales for the court decision to legalize same-sex marriage was that "gay couples in civil unions would be denied federal benefits because they were not married. If the federal government gave them benefits, Lesniak said, the rationale for the decision could be undercut, which is why it needs to be written into law."

PENNSYLVANIA: The register of wills in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, ordered to stop issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples is seeking the Pennsylvania Supreme Court's review on whether the lower appellate court had jurisdiction and if the state health department opposing the licenses' issuance made out its burden of proof in the case, Reuters reports: http://whtc.com/news/articles/2013/oct/01/pennsylvania-clerk-appeals-ban...

NEW JERSEY: This state's attorney general has asked a state judge to put a stay in place until the New Jersey Supreme Court can rule on the constitutionality of the state's civil union law when it does not allow same-sex marriage, Bloomberg Businessweek reports. The AG argued, Bloomberg reports, "the judge should allow the Supreme Court, 'the ultimate arbiter of substantial constitutional issues, to definitively determine the contested issue and allow that court, if it deems necessary, to take the drastic step of rejecting on constitutional grounds' a state law.": http://mobile.businessweek.com/news/2013-10-01/new-jersey-asks-judge-to-...

WEST VIRGINIA: Lambda Legal has filed a constitutional challenge to WV's ban on same-sex marriage, arguing it violates the plaintiffs's rights under the Fourteenth Amendment, the Associated Press reports: http://m.tribtown.com/view/story/4c19a72e9dbc40cca08b54eb02037d72/WV--Ga...

MISSISSIPPI: A same-sex couple seeking a divorce after getting married in California are litigating to have their marital dissolution recognized under Mississippi family law,WMC-TV reports: http://m.wmctv.com/#!/newsDetail/23551743

That case may be the first of its kind in the state.

The Record (Bergen County) reports that Friday's ruling by a trial judge that same-sex marriage violates that state's constitution is a "blessing and curse" for proponents. "While Superior Court Judge Mary Jacobson’s 53-page opinion Friday was hailed as a landmark, a 'tipping point' in the decadelong crusade, some advocates worried it could hinder their main objective — getting the Legislature to enact same-sex marriage despite Governor Christie’s opposition." Christie plans to appeal Jacobson's decision and already vetoed legislation that would have established same-sex matrimony in the state. The Democrat-controlled legislature is going to try to garner enough votes to override the gubernatorial veto, but they need Republican votes to do so. But the court case might detract from the efforts to attract Republicans to that cause, The Record reports.

The Record (Bergen County) reports that Friday's ruling by a trial judge that same-sex marriage violates that state's constitution is a "blessing and curse" for proponents. "While Superior Court Judge Mary Jacobson’s 53-page opinion Friday was hailed as a landmark, a 'tipping point' in the decadelong crusade, some advocates worried it could hinder their main objective — getting the Legislature to enact same-sex marriage despite Governor Christie’s opposition." Christie plans to appeal Jacobson's decision and already vetoed legislation that would have established same-sex matrimony in the state. The Democrat-controlled legislature is going to try to garner enough votes to override the gubernatorial veto, but they need Republican votes to do so. But the court case might detract from the efforts to attract Republicans to that cause, The Record reports.

After Governor Chris Christie vetoed legislation passed by the New Jersey Legislature to approve same-sex marriage last year, a poll shows he is getting middling reviews on his handling of the issue. Thirty percent think Christie has been above average in handling the issue and 31 percent think he has been below average on the issue.  The governor is up for reelection and leading in the polls. The Asbury Park Press reports proponents of same-sex marriage are trying to pass legislation to override taking the same-sex marriage issue to a public referendum, which Christie favors.