If the Vermont bill to legalize same-sex marriage passes the House next week, Gov. Jim Douglas plans to veto it. The Republican governor made the announcement Wednesday, even though he is already known to oppose same-sex marriage.

To explain why he announced his decision before the bill even moved to the House for a vote, Gov. Douglas stated that lawmakers should not have wasted the time of this session on the marriage bill because of the state of the economy, as well as the state budget deficit. 

The bill passed the Senate with a vote of 26-4 in the preliminary on Monday, and was confirmed in the second vote Tuesday. The House is not expected to deliver its decision next week. It is expected to pass the bill as well. Once that  process is complete, Douglas can officially veto the bill for marriage between same-sex couples.