Allowing same-sex couples to get married would be good for Florida's economy too

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Written by: Michael Kruse

The people in Florida fighting same-sex marriage are going to lose. Arc of the moral universe and whatnot.

Add to that truth the findings of a new report from the Williams Institute at UCLA's School of Law. The authors predict that 24,248 in-state same-sex couples would get married within three years. The money spent on those weddings and guests' travel would add up to an estimated $182.2 million. That would lead to $12.1 million in sales tax revenue and somewhere between 875 and 2,626 jobs in tourism and recreation.

It was less than six years ago that nearly 62 percent of Florida voters passed a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage, the Times' Adam Smith pointed out earlier this month. Today, though, judges are ruling against the ban and public opinion has shifted sharply. The latest Florida Insider Poll found 87 percent of the 131 state politicos predict that within five years Florida will no longer ban same-sex marriage.

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