Massachusetts was the first state to legalize same-sex marriages, however, it was only for its residents. So if one wanted to get married to their same-sex partner in Massachusetts, they'd have to become legal residents first. Now that California has gone ahead and opened up the floodgates, permitting same-sex marriages in their states, Massachusetts doesn't want to loose on the potential cash cow these weddings could be, and have gone ahead and repealed a 1913 law that forbid the state from marrying out-of-state couples if their marriages would not be legal in their home state.

The repeal passed with no objections on a voice vote, and is expected to ass in the House later this week. Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick (Democrat), said he will sign the repeal.

The repeal,if approved on all levels, would come more than four years after the state became the first state to allow same-sex couples to marry.

The logic behind this move is the potential windfall it could bring to the state. State officials have indicated that they expect multi-million dollar profits from weddings and tourism, especially from those who live in New York. Not everyone wants to go to California. A study commissioned by the state has concluded that in the next three years, 32,000 couples would travel there to get married. This in turn would create 330 permanent jobs, and add $111 million to the economy, not including spending by guests and tourist activites the weddings could generate.

Lawmakers and advocates, however, insist that their primary motivation in repealing the law was to revoke a law many saw as discriminatory and allow all same-sex couples and opportunity to marry.