PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — The Rhode Island Senate is scheduled to hold hearings late Thursday on a bill that would legalize gay marriage.
A hearing in the state House of Representatives last month attracted hundreds of supporters and opponents. Leaders in the House say a vote on the legislation could occur as early as next week.
Gov. Lincoln Chafee, an independent, and Democratic House Speaker Gordon D. Fox both support the bill.
The Senate is seen as the main obstacle to passage of the legislation. Democratic Senate President Teresa Paiva Weed opposes it.
Same-sex marriage is currently legal in Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and the District of Columbia.
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