Yesterday, in a vote of 26 to 15, the Delaware state house approved S.B. 30, a bill that would allow same-sex couples to enter into civil unions. The measure passed the Senate last week and now goes to Gov. Jack Markell (D), who has pledged to sign it. Proponents of the bill defeated nine amendments, before holding a final vote which elicited applause and cries of “thank you” from supporters gathered in the chamber. Listen:

“Parties who enter into a lawful civil union in Delaware, or whose legal union is recognized as a civil union under Delaware law, will have all of the same rights, benefits, protections and responsibilities as married persons under Delaware law,” the measure says. It will go into effect January 1.

Delaware will become the eighth state to offer civil unions or domestic partnerships to same-sex couples. Illinois and Hawaii enacted civil union legislation earlier this year and the recognition is also available in California, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon and Washington. Same-sex marriage is currently legal in five states, plus the District of Columbia.

A recent poll found that more than six out of ten Delaware voters — 62% — support civil unions.

This morning’s “defending marriage” hearing held by the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on the Constitution invited anti-LGBT witnesses Maggie Gallagher of the National Organization for Marriage and Edward Whelan of the Ethics and Public Policy Center to reinforce stigma against gays and lesbians. Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX) and subcommittee Chairman Trent Franks (R-AZ) also used the hearing to attack the White House.

Gallagher repeatedly stated that children do better with a mother and a father, despite ample evidence that children of same-sex parents fair just as well, if not better:

GALLAGHER: If, in fact, marriage, as a public and legal institution…is oriented towards protecting children by increasing the likelihood they have a mother and father, then same-sex couples do not fit, and conversely, if same-sex couples fit the definition of marriage, then marriage really is no longer about responsible procreation in the sense.

Meanwhile, Whelan attempted to paint President Obama and the Department of Justice as “pretending” to defend the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) previously and that it’s, in fact, a “scandal” that the DOJ tried to “sabotage” DOMA.

WHELAN: As I document in detail in my testimony, I think one would have to be very naive to think that it’s anything than a stealth strategy of step by step by step, the administration is doing whatever it can to promote same-sex marriage and to induce the courts to adopt that approach.

Watch a compilation:

Professor Carlos Ball of Rutgers School of Law was also on hand to offer testimony in support of same-sex marriage. Representatives Nadler (D-NY), Conyers (D-MI), Scott (D-VA), and Quigley (D-IL) used much of their time challenging Gallagher and Whelan on their claims.

Complete video of the hearing is available on the Judiciary Committee’s website.