Throughout the past winter there has been a significant amount of press about same-sex marriage in Vermont. Much of it has dealt with the morals and religious aspects of the proposal. Other sides have argued, including Governor Douglas, that there were more important things the state’s lawmakers should be focusing their attention on, including the state’s budgetary woes. Lost in those arguments was the fact that same-sex marriage makes sense for Vermont financially as well as ethically.

A study released by the Williams Institute at the UCLA School Of Law, concludes extending marriage to same-sex couples in Vermont will increase Vermont’s economy by over $30.6 million over the next three years. This will increase the state government tax and fee revenues by approximately $3.3 million and create approximately 700 new jobs.

The study takes into account the changing landscape of the region, and bases many of its findings on the impact same-sex marriage legalization has had in Massachusetts and Connecticut.

The study estimates that over the next three years approximately 997 resident couples will marry. It takes several factors into account when estimating spending, including that weddings would be larger than out-of-state couples coming to Vermont to marry because their family and friends are conceivably local. However, it also accounts for the fact that several same-sex couples have already had large civil unions and this may limit their spending on a marriage reception. For those reasons, it is estimated that that same-sex couples will spend only 25 percent of the amount that different-sex couples in Vermont ($22,074), or $5,519. This figure has been adjusted for decreased spending induced by the recession according to the Wedding Report. The total for 997 couples would come to roughly $5.5 million in new wedding spending.

The real money though, will come from out-of-state couples.

Approximately 8,212 same-sex couples from other states will come to Vermont to marry. These couples will primarily come from New York, where they are likely to have their marriages recognized, and from states in the immediate Northeast region.

The study estimates wedding and tourism spending at $3,053 per couple for all out-of-state couples marrying in Vermont. Multiplying the number of out-of-state couples by this figure, it is estimated that extending marriage to non-resident same-sex couples will boost the state economy by approximately $25.1 million over the next three years. New York alone will account for almost $7.7 million of this spending.

Next the study estimates state and local tax revenues from spending by out-of-state same-sex couples, based on Additionally, Vermont’s sales tax rate of 6 percent and the states’ meals and rooms tax of 9 percent. Vermont’s municipalities may utilize local option taxes by increasing both the sales and meal and room tax by 1 percent. Using 6 percent for sales tax and 9 percent for the meal and room tax, it is estimated that spending by out-of-state couples will generate more than $2.5 million in state tax revenues. These taxes only capture the most direct tax impact of increased tourism; they do not include Vermont’s other taxes, the state’s fuel gross receipts tax, and any property tax revenues such as the nonresidential education property tax that may be generated, nor do they include increased taxes from earnings. Businesses and individuals will also pay taxes on the new earnings generated by wedding spending, providing a further boost to the state budget.

There would also be a significant impact made by marriage license fees.

Currently in Vermont the marriage license fee is $45 per couple for both residents and non-residents. This equates to over $414, 300 in fee-revenue for the state. will hit immediately, at a time when Vermont needs it the most. This conclusion is based on Massachusetts. In the first year they legalized same-sex marriage 64 percent of the 3-year average took advantage of it. The second year saw this drop to 21 percent, followed by 15 percent the last year of the average.

At a time when every penny is being counted, the question should be “Can Vermont afford to not legalize same-sex marriage?”

Wendy Lacroix lives on the Vermont/ Massachusetts border near Bennington.