MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP)

Two prominent opponents to Vermont’s civil unions law expressed confidence Thursday they can defeat any push toward full marriage for same-sex couples.

“When I read that this morning, I actually laughed out loud. I had a real good belly laugh,” said Stephen Cable of Rutland, founder and president of the group Vermont Renewal.

Cable was referring to news reports about the announcement a day earlier that legislative leaders had appointed a commission to engage Vermonters in a discussion about moving from civil unions, which grant marriage-like rights and benefits to same-sex couples, to allowing those couples to get married.

“We’ve been hearing from a lot of Vermonters who want gay couples to be treated exactly the same as heterosexual couples in our laws, that is, they believe same-sex couples should be allowed to get civil marriage licenses,” House Speakers Gaye Symington, D-Jericho, said in announcing formation of the commission.

“It is time to ask whether it is in Vermont’s interest to continue to maintain a separate legal status for same-sex couples.”

Both Cable and Rev. Craig Bensen, president of the Take It To The People, said they expected gay marriage supporters would be thwarted in their efforts.

“I’m encouraged,” said Bensen, of Cambridge. “My interpretation of why they’re doing this is they’re not going to do anything. … They’re putting this out to make their gay and lesbian constituency feel like something’s going on.”

Symington and Senate President Pro Tem Peter Shumlin, D-Windham, said they want the commission to hold a series of public meetings and report back to lawmakers about its findings in April. Since the legislative session is usually winding down by then, that likely would leave action on any bill to the 2009 session.

“If I were on the other side of the issue, I would be sputtering,” Bensen said. Gay marriage supporters “are essentially being told to behave until after the election — we’ll put a commission on but don’t expect any results.”

A leading supporter of same-sex marriage, Beth Robinson of the Vermont Freedom to Marry Task Force, said she didn’t mind taking some time on the issue.

“We’re fully supportive of this approach,” she said. “We’ve been trying for some time to try and figure out a way to really re-engage Vermonters in this issue. We’re thrilled with this opportunity.”

Cable said his laughter was prompted by the thought that the civil unions law granted same-sex couples all the rights and privileges of marriage.

“This gives them nothing more than what they have now, legally, and this is why I laughed,” Cable said.

“Really what they’re looking for is acceptance every way they can get it, rather than legal benefits,” Cable said. “They’re trying to force that acceptance on the rest of Vermonters who don’t appreciate it and consider it offensive.”

Robinson said she and her allies always regarded civil unions as a compromise, a step on the way to full equality. “We’re engaged in a generation-long civil rights movement,” she said. “I don’t think anybody pretended when civil unions passed that it delivered full equality.”

He said he believed the Democratic leaders in the Legislature would hurt themselves by pursuing the issue. “As long as Jim Douglas remains governor, this would be vetoed. I actually think this move that they’re making is not going to help them; it’s going to hurt them in the long run.”

Douglas on Wednesday said he does not want to reopen the debate over civil unions or gay marriage.

“I don’t think it would be in the state’s best interest to reopen those wounds to have that controversial debate because we’ve extended full privileges, full legal rights and benefits to same-sex couples,” the governor said. His spokesman, Jason Gibbs, did not immediately return a call Thursday.

Bensen also maintained that the political calculus favors gay marriage opponents. “Unless the 2008 elections give her (Symington) 112 Democrats (in the House), she’s not going to have the political clout to pull this off. So it will be a non-issue in 2009 unless there’s a historic takeover by Democrats in 2008.”

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