In this task, you are given a text of many news articles seperated by special token "|||||". Your task is to summarize them.
Q: After Illinois And Hawaii: Which State Will Make Same-Sex Marriage Legal — Maybe This Year? 
  
 After a depressing last minute withdrawal of their same-sex marriage bill from the floor for a vote this spring, Illinois surprised many last week with what seemed like a spur-of-the-moment vote — and passage — on marriage equality. And after a huge two-week battle, Hawaii lawmakers successfully completed what was started two decades ago. Both governors are expected to sign both bills before month’s end, bringing the list to 16 states, plus the District of Columbia and several Native American tribal lands. 
  
 Earlier this year, Delaware, Minnesota, and Rhode Island joined the “club” of states extending marriage to same-sex couples. 
  
 But is there another state that could add its name to the sixteen which have become marriage equality states — before the rapidly-approaching end of the year? 
  
 “New Mexico: Possibly in Time for a New Year’s Eve Kiss,” Time magazine writes, noting that the “Southwest state is the only one in the nation without a law that explicitly allows or bans same-sex marriage.” 
  
 The New Mexico supreme court heard oral arguments on the topic Oct. 23 and is expected to issue a ruling soon, likely before the end of the year. Currently, eight New Mexico counties allow gay couples to marry. More than 900 people have filed for licenses since clerks in those counties started issuing them in the past few months. Two New Mexico judges have upheld same-sex marriage under provisions of the state constitution, giving supporters reason for optimism. 
  
 Of course, the is a small faction of Republican state lawmakers who have filed suit to derail marriage equality in the “Land of Enchantment,” but given that at least one judge has already ordered a county clerk to issue licenses to same-sex couples, it would appear it could be full steam ahead for New Mexico. 
  
 In July, The New Civil Rights Movement reported on 12 States Where Same-Sex Marriage Isn’t Legal — But Could Be. New Jersey, Hawaii, and Illinois were on that list. Not New Mexico, due to their lopsided same-sex marriage support: a May poll found 44 percent support and 51 percent opposition. 
  
 And currently there are same-sex marriage lawsuits in at least 22 states (including Hawaii, Illinois, and New Jersey). 
  
 The Christian Science Monitor adds that “polls in many states – as they do nationally – now show majority approval of gay marriage, or at least opposition to state constitutional bans on same-sex marriage. That includes Pennsylvania, Indiana, Nevada, Ohio, Colorado, Arizona, Michigan, and Oregon, according to this Monitor survey of 11 gay marriage battleground states.” 
  
 The next federal court case could come in deeply conservative Idaho, where four couples (all women) are suing the state in federal court to challenge laws banning same-sex marriage and denying recognition to same-sex couples who married in other states. 
  
 Regardless of which state is next, the future looks very bright indeed. 
  
 Image by F Delventhal via Flickr 
  
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 Also, please like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter! ||||| Senate lawmakers debate a gay marriage bill at the Hawaii Capitol in Honolulu on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2013. The bill allowing same-sex couples to wed on the islands starting Dec. 2 is expected to pass easily... (Associated Press) 
  
 Gay marriage supporters rally outside the Hawaii Capitol in Honolulu ahead of a Senate vote on whether to legalize same-sex marriage on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2013. (AP Photo/Oskar Garcia) (Associated Press) 
  
 Gay marriage supporters rally outside the Hawaii Capitol in Honolulu ahead of a Senate vote on whether to legalize same-sex marriage on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2013. The bill allowing same-sex couples to wed... (Associated Press) 
  
 Gov. Neil Abercrombie, who called lawmakers to a special session for the bill and has vocally supported gay marriage, has said he would sign the measure. It will allow thousands of gay couples living in Hawaii and even more tourists to marry in the state starting Dec. 2. 
  
 Senators passed the bill 19-4 with two lawmakers excused. Cheers erupted inside and outside the gallery when the vote was taken, with a smattering of boos. Senate President Donna Mercado Kim, who voted against the bill, banged her gavel and told members of the public to quiet down. 
  
 An estimate from a University of Hawaii researcher says the law will boost tourism by $217 million over the next three years, as Hawaii becomes an outlet for couples in other states, bringing ceremonies, receptions and honeymoons to the islands. The study's author has said Hawaii would benefit from pent-up demand for gay weddings, with couples spending $166 million over those three years on ceremonies and honeymoons. 
  
 The measure is the culmination of more than two decades of debate in the state, where two women in 1990 famously applied for a marriage license, touching off a court battle and eventual national discussion on gay marriage. 
  
 The case led to Congress passing the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996, part of which was struck down earlier this year by the U.S. Supreme Court. The decision that legally married same-sex couples could qualify for federal benefits led Abercrombie to call the special session in Hawaii. 
  
 The Senate vote puts Hawaii alongside Illinois, where a bill legalizing gay marriage is also awaiting the governor's signature. Another 14 states and the District of Columbia already allow same-sex marriage. 
  
 ___ 
  
 Oskar Garcia can be reached at http://twitter.com/oskargarcia . ||||| By Star-Advertiser staff 
  
  
  
 1 / 10 ▶ JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COM Kapolei residents Jennifer Lewis, right, and Queenie Toilolo walk out of the Senate Chambers Tuesday after the Senate voted 19-4 to pass SB1 into law, legalizing same sex marriage. Gov. Neil Abercrombie will sign the bill today. ◀ 2 / 10 ▶ CRAIG T. KOJIMA/CKOJIMA@STARADVERTISER.COM Supporters and opponents of the same-sex marriage bill sat on opposite sides of the Senate gallery during today's session. ◀ 3 / 10 ▶ JAMM AQUINO/JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COM Kapolei resident Jennifer Lewis, right, and partner Queenie Toilolo wait to enter the Senate Chamber outside the state Capitol today. ◀ 4 / 10 ▶ JAMM AQUINO/JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COM P.M. Azinga of Pearl Harbor talks to fellow opponents of same sex marriage at the state Capitol today. ◀ 5 / 10 ▶ CRAIG T. KOJIMA/CKOJIMA@STARADVERTISER.COM Supporters of same-sex marriage waved flags and held signs on Beretania Street this morning. ◀ 6 / 10 ▶ JAMM AQUINO/JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COM Opponents of same sex marriage prepare to enter the Senate Chamber at the state Capitol today. ◀ 7 / 10 ▶ CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARADVERTISER.COM The State Senate begins debate on the same-sex marriage bill this morning. ◀ 8 / 10 ▶ MARCEL HONORE / MHONORE@STARADVERTISER.COM Aretha Franklin's song "Respect" followed by Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" blared onto Beretania Street while people celebrated the passage of SB1 today at the state Capitol. ◀ 9 / 10 ▶ MARCEL HONORE / MHONORE@STARADVERTISER.COM People celebrated after the Senate passed SB1 today at the Capitol. ◀ 10 / 10 JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COM Michael Golojuch, chairman of Honolulu Pride and the GLBT Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, reacts as the Senate vote is read aloud on a television set outside the Capitol today. 
  
  
  
 PHOTOS FROM THE CAPITOL: Gallery 1; Gallery 2 
  
 The state Senate, as expected, overwhelmingly approved a marriage equity bill today, sending the measure to Gov. Neil Abercrombie who has vowed to sign it and make Hawaii the 15th state to legalize same-sex marriage. 
  
 An invitation-only bill-signing ceremony is set for 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Hawaii Convention Center's Liliu Theater. The event will be streamed live at http://governor.hawaii.com and broadcast on 'Olelo's channel 55. 
  
 Today's 19-4 vote, while historic, was a somewhat anti-climatic end to the legislative special session that began Oct. 28 and included more than 55 hours of public testimony, followed by two day-long sessions in the House where lawmakers approved the bill late Friday night in a 30-19 vote. 
  
 "I look forward to signing this significant piece of legislation, which provides marriage equity and fully recognizes and protects religious freedoms," Abercrombie said in a statement after the Senate vote. 
  
 President Barack Obama issued a statement soon after the vote, saying, "I want to congratulate the Hawaii State Legislature on passing legislation in support of marriage equality." 
  
 "I've always been proud to have been born in Hawaii, and today's vote makes me even prouder. And Michelle and I extend our best wishes to all those in Hawaii whose families will now be given the security and respect they deserve," he said. 
  
 More than half the state Senate lawmakers spoke in support of the bill today, with many urging the public to come together to heal divisions within the community. 
  
 "This is nothing more than the expansion of aloha in Hawaii," said Sen. J. Kalani English, a Democrat from Maui. 
  
 Sen. Sam Slom, the chamber's only Republican, said the government should stay out of legislating marriage. "People have differences, and you can't legislate morality. You can try, but you can't do it," he said. 
  
 Once the bill is signed into law, gay couples could get married in Hawaii as soon as Dec. 2. Clergy would have the right to refuse to perform gay weddings. Churches and other religious organizations would be able to decline to provide goods, services and facilities for gay weddings and celebrations if it violates their religious beliefs. 
  
 Two senators -- Donovan Dela Cruz and Brian T. Taniguchi -- were excused from today's vote. The four no votes were Senate President Donna Mercado Kim, Sens. Mike Gabbard, Ronald Kouchi, and Slom. 
  
 Senators took up the bill a second time because of changes made in the House, where the bill was amended and passed after a five-day public hearing and two lengthy floor sessions. An earlier version of the bill passed the Senate 20-4 with one lawmaker excused. 
  
 The vote today brings a legislative end to a decades-long journey for proponents and opponents of giving gay couples the same marriage rights as heterosexual couples. The state Supreme Court ruled in 1993 that denying same-sex couples marriage licenses was a violation of equal protection under the state Constitution. The court's ruling influenced Congress to approve the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which restricted marriage to heterosexual couples, and prompted Hawaii voters in 1998 to approve a constitutional amendment that gave the state Legislature the power to define marriage as between a man and a woman. 
  
 In June, the U.S. Supreme Court held that the federal Defense of Marriage Act was an unconstitutional violation of due process and equal protection, allowing same-sex couples who are legally married to receive federal benefits. The court left it up to the states to decide whether to legalize gay marriage. Abercrombie responded to the court's ruling by calling the Legislature into special session. 
  
 While the legislative action on the bill ends, opponents vow to continue the fight in court. On Thursday, Circuit Judge Karl Sakamoto declined to issue a restraining order sought by state Rep. Bob McDermott to halt action on the special session's same-sex marriage legislation. But the judge said once the law is adopted, he'll consider its constitutionality. 
  
 McDermott (R, Ewa Beach-Iroquois Point) sent Abercrombie a letter on Friday stating that he would seek a temporary restraining order in Circuit Court to prevent the state from issuing marriage licences to gay couples. 
  
 McDermott contends that the 1998 constitutional amendment that gave the Legislature the power to define marriage as between heterosexual couples trumps any statutory change to the law. He insists that another vote by the people is necessary to redefine marriage. 
  
 Sakamoto on Thursday raised questions about how voters who ratified the 1998 amendment knew that it authorized the Legislature to later approve same-sex marriages. 
  
 In his statement today, Abercrombie said, "I believe this bill provides equal rights for all people, is legally sound, and is in accord with the Hawaii State Constitution." 
  
 Once Abercrombie signs the bill Wednesday, Hawaii will be the 15th state plus the District of Columbia to allow gay and lesbian couples to marry. The Illinois legislature passed a similar measure last week, but Gov. Pat Quinn said he would sign a the bill into law at a ceremony in Chicago on Nov. 20. 
  
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 The Associated Press contributed to this report. |||||
A: 
The US is about to have 16 states in which gay marriage is legal. Hawaii's state Senate today approved the legislation and sent it to the governor for his promised signature, reports the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. The 19-4 vote means that same-sex couples could wed as early as Dec. 2, a move that could set up the state nicely to be a destination wedding locale, notes AP. Hawaii's vote follows similar action last week in Illinois. That bill also is awaiting the governor's promised signature. "I've always been proud to have been born in Hawaii, and today's vote makes me even prouder," said President Obama in a statement after the vote. In addition to the 16 states, DC also allows gay marriage. Is New Mexico next?