It's a gay-marriage avalanche in New England as Vermont, as expected, joins New Hampshire and Maine in considering whether to recognize same-sex marriages. Gay marriage is already legal in Connecticut and Massachusetts, and last year Rhode Island figured it would accept out of state gay marriages, a step towards legalizing gay marriage in the state. What chance does Vermont's new bill have? Lawmakers say it's a matter of money.

The Boston Globe reports:

"Vermont lawmakers have introduced a bill that would allow gay marriage in the state that created civil unions for same-sex couples.

The bill, sponsored by state Reps. Mark Larson and David Zuckerman of Burlington, was introduced Friday, with the backing of 59 legislators.

A similar bill is expected to be introduced in the Senate sometime this session.

But it's unclear how far the effort will go as legislators grapple with state budget cuts and falling revenues.

Zuckerman, a progressive, says the economy is the biggest issue in the Statehouse but says there are other committees that can handle other issues. He says the time has come for Vermont, which passed the civil unions nine years ago, to make gay marriage law."