AP: Gay Marriage Within Reach in Wash. Legislature

OLYMPIA, Wash. —  Washington's Legislature is on the verge of having enough support to approve gay marriage, with votes continuing to realign in the state Senate.

In contacts with all 49 senators over the past week, The Associated Press found that more lawmakers are now firmly supporting gay marriage than opposing it. That margin currently stands at 22-18, and the measure needs 25 votes to pass the Senate.

Four other Democrats say they are considering whether to support it, including one who is leaning in favor. A pair of Republicans are among those supporting the proposal, and two first-term members of the GOP say they are still discussing the issue with constituents.

The state House is widely expected to have enough support to pass gay marriage, and Gov. Chris Gregoire publicly endorsed gay marriage for the first time last week.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

The Washington state Legislature is on the verge of having enough support to approve gay marriage, with votes continuing to realign in the state Senate, according to a tally by The Associated Press.

The AP has reached out to all 49 state senators over the past week and found that more lawmakers are firmly supporting gay marriage than opposing it, by a margin of 21-18. The measure needs 25 votes to pass the Senate.

Five Democrats say they are considering whether to support it, including two who are leaning in favor. A pair of Republicans is among those supporting the proposal, and two first-term GOP members said they were discussing the issue with constituents.

The House is widely expected to have enough support, and Gov. Chris Gregoire publicly endorsed gay marriage for the first time last week.

Democratic Sen. Ed Murray, a gay lawmaker from Seattle who has for years led efforts to approve same-sex marriage, said that he's "50 percent optimistic" it will pass. He noted that he saw a gay civil rights measure he spearheaded lose by one vote in 2005 before it passed by a single vote the following year.

"I can't declare victory," he said. "I don't think we'll know we have the votes until we actually vote."