But for gay advocates and Democratic leaders in Trenton, that's not good enough, because it would still limit gay couples to civil unions.
"It's not equal, it's not the same," said Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D., Gloucester), who led the effort for the bill in his chamber. "He knows he's wrong, he had to walk a tightrope. Why would you need an ombudsman when you had a bill that respected everyone's rights?"
Steven Goldstein, the head of the gay-rights group Garden State Equality, called the proposal ridiculous.
"A number of civil union couples work in New York, which doesn't recognize civil unions, they recognize marriage," he said in an interview. "Are they going to ask a New Jersey ombudsman to enforce the law in New York? That's the biggest joke I ever heard."
An ombudsman could not stop the bullying of children who are "stigmatized by the inferior label of civil unions," he said.
"The governor's trying to have his cake and eat it too," Goldstein said. "He wants to appeal to the Republican base, so he vetoes same-sex marriage. But then he feels a little guilty, so he says, 'Sure, I'm against discrimination.' "
Democrats, who rule both chambers, will ignore Christie's proposal, which would force them to gut their bill, and try to override his veto, Sweeney said.
They'll need GOP help.
The Senate, which passed the bill by 24-16 on Monday, needs three additional votes to overturn the veto. The Assembly, which passed the bill Thursday, 42-33, with no GOP support, must find a dozen additional votes.
Civil unions have been legal in New Jersey since 2007, but same-sex marriage advocates say the licenses are not always recognized.
