[JURIST] The Maine House of Representatives [official website] voted 89-57 Tuesday in favor of a bill [text] that would allow same-sex marriage [JURIST news archive] in the state. The vote follows last week's approval by the Maine Senate [JURIST report]. The proposed legislation now faces one more vote before the Senate and the House before it goes before Governor John Baldacci [official website], who has yet to take a public position [Bangor Daily News report] on the issue.

Last week, the New Hampshire Senate [official website] voted 13-11 to approve [JURIST report] a bill [HB 436 text] permitting same-sex marriage. The New Hampshire House of Representatives [official website] approved the bill [JURIST report] in March by a vote of 186-179. The two differing versions of the bill must now be reconciled. Last month, Vermont became the fourth state to legalize same-sex marriage and the first to do so through a vote of the legislature, joining Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Iowa [JURIST reports].