Economic benefits of equality in Little Rhody

The Prop8trialtracker points us to a report (PDF) from the Williams Institute showing that Rhode Island could benefit from marriage equality.

a new research study released by the Williams Institute shows that allowing same-sex couples to marry in Rhode Island would boost the state budget by more than $1 million over three years…..

In calculating the net benefit to the State, the study predicts that half of Rhode Island’s 2,097 same-sex couples, or 1,048 couples, will be married within three years after the legislation is passed. This estimate includes about 440 couples who may have already married in the neighboring states of Massachusetts and Connecticut, which allow same-sex couples to wed.

Most of the new revenue to the state is gained through increased income taxes paid by married same-sex couples.