Mitt Romney and his right-wing pals were dealt a blow yesterday when the Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled that it had no authority to force lawmakers to hold a vote on a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. Massachusetts legalized gay marriage in 2004 and is still the only state to allow it.

Anti-gay marriage activists gathered signatures to get a constitutional amendment on the ballot in 2008. In order for the amendment to get onto the ballot at least a quarter of the Legislature had to vote in support of it. Instead, the Legislature moved the vote to the last day of their session, guaranteeing that no vote will occur and that the amendment will not make it onto the ballot.

I commend the Massachusetts Legislature for taking a stand and doing the right thing. Massachusetts was forced into allowing gay marriage in 2004, but now they’ve taken the initiative on their own to continue to protect the rights of their gay and lesbian citizens. If only the lawmakers in other states had the same courage and conviction!