Coming nine years after Vermont adopted its first-in-the-nation civil unions law in 2000, Vermont has become the fourth state in the US to legalise gay marriage - and the first to do so with a legislature's vote.

Tuesday morning's legislative action came less than a day after Governor Jim Douglas issued a veto message saying the bill would not improve the lot of gay and lesbian couples because it still would not provide them rights under federal and other states' laws.

The House's 100-to-49 vote was taken about an hour after the state Senate voted 23-5 to override Monday's veto by the Republican governor. The new law takes effect on Sept. 1.

Under Vermont law, two-thirds of each chamber had to vote for override.

It is now the fourth state to permit same-sex marriage. Massachusetts, Connecticut and Iowa are the others. Their approvals of gay marriage came from the courts.

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Vermont, and Gay Marriage (Seattle Times): The action by Vermont's legislature to legalize gay marriage over the governor's veto is hugely significant. For the first time, it's not a state supreme court doing it, but the people's representatives--and in this case, two-thirds of them.

Vermont is only a small piece of America--the most liberal state, according to a friend of mine who lives there. Vermont is the least religious state, according to a new survey. Vermont, with Maine, has the lowest birth rate of any state. And Vermont's vote for Obama was 68 percent, the highest of any state except Hawaii (72 percent).

Gay marriage wins by 1 vote (burlingtonfreepress.com): House Speaker Shap Smith's voice choked with emotion as he read the vote count from the podium: 100-49.

By the narrowest of margins, the Legislature overrode Gov. Jim Douglas' veto Tuesday and Vermont became the fourth state in the nation to allow same-sex couples to marry, and the first to do so without a court order.

"It really is a historic moment," Smith said afterward.

Vermont legalizes same-sex marriage (boston.com): That it would be a tight vote was never in doubt, but the outcome was unclear until the roll call came to the end and Jeff Young, a gardener and freshman Democrat, switched his vote with a simple "yes" from his wooden desk in the chandelier-lit chamber.

His change of mind tipped the balance yesterday in the state House of Representatives, making Vermont the fourth state in the country to legalize marriage between same-sex couples - and the first by a legislative vote.