I went to law school with Bill Baroni. He graduated a year or two ahead of me. He didn’t know me, but I knew who he was. He was nicknamed “mayor of the law school,” because he was apparently a nice guy who seemed to know everybody. He was from New Jersey, and everybody said he would go into politics.

He did. He got elected to the New Jersey Assembly, and then he got elected to the New Jersey Senate. And now he’s on the New Jersey Senate Judiciary Committee.

Last night, the Judiciary Committee approved a bill to allow marriage equality in New Jersey, which allows it go to the full New Jersey Senate on Thursday.

The committee passed the bill 7-6. One Republican voted for the bill. That Republican was Bill Baroni. Had he voted against the bill, it would have died.

Senate passage is by no means guaranteed, but it has passed a crucial step with Bill Baroni’s help. I want to thank him for doing what is right. And I hope some of his fellow Republicans in the senate do the same thing on Thursday.

More about Bill here.