Democrats announced that the first bill they’ll introduce in the new legislative session will be the Marriage Equality Act, which would legalize same sex marriages in New Jersey. Senate President Steve Sweeney, a Democrat, abstained from a vote on the issue two years ago, but now says he made a mistake that he plans to correct. While many are in favor of the measure, it is not without critics.

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Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver agreed with Sweeney that same sex marriage is a civil rights issue that needs to be allowed. But the New Jersey Coalition to Preserve Families disagrees with the measure. John Tomicki says allowing same sex marriage will open the door to abolish other standards of marriage like the number and age. Governor Christie has threatened to veto a same sex marriage bill in the past, but has not commented on the latest announcement. NJToday’s Laura Jones files this report from Trenton.