New Hampshire has moved to becoming the fifth state to legalize same-sex marriage.
The state Senate voted 13-to-11 in favor of allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry.
The vote establishes a two-tier system with a civil marriage and a religious marriage license. That’s different from the version of the bill passed earlier this year by the House.
It’s not clear whether it will become law if the differences between the House and Senate are worked out.
Governor John Lynch has said marriage is a word that should be reserved for the union of a man and a woman. But he has not said that he would veto the bill.