Marriage in Connecticut: Another Update

From Joe Sudbay at AmericaBlog, this comment on yesterday's Connecticut Supreme Court decision, with some background from a CT legislator:

n 2007, the legislature’s Judiciary Committee successfully passed a bill to change the name of “civil unions” to “marriage.” That bill came out of the committee on a bipartisan, 27-15 vote. In fact, 25% of all the members of the legislature sit on that committee.

All of Connecticut’s political leaders, Democrat and Republican, have supported equal rights for gays and lesbians. All of our members of Congress support this as well. For example, Chris Shays, our state’s only Republican congressman, has spoken numerous times about his support for full same-sex marriage rights and has said that if he was a member of the state legislature he would vote in its favor.

For nine years, Connecticut’s legislature and courts have been moving along the same path towards full equality for gays and lesbians. It is almost certain that the 2009 session of the legislature will vote to support marriage equality. The Supreme Court said our constitution requires it. The legislature will do it because it is the right thing to do. In Connecticut, this has been a bipartisan effort from the start and I’m sure the next legislature will overwhelmingly endorse today’s ruling.

This is really the trend. I expect both New York and New Jersey to pass laws legalizing same-sex marriage next year; California has done so twice (only to have them vetoed by Schwarzenegger, who was waiting for the court's decision). A constitutional amendment in Massachusetts never got past the legislature, and attempts in Illinois to put a referendum on the ballot have failed twice in a row.

If the laws do pass, and there's no reason to think they won't, watch for the Dobson Gang to start fulminating against "elite politicians" ignoring the will of the people -- a will only the rabids seem to be privy to, while the people aren't.

Note this statement by Gov. Jody Rell of Connecticut:

The Supreme Court has spoken. I do not believe their voice reflects the majority of the people of Connecticut. However, I am also firmly convinced that attempts to reverse this decision – either legislatively or by amending the state Constitution – will not meet with success. I will therefore abide by the ruling.”

Newspeak? Maybe? The Supreme Court's decision doesn't reflect the will of the people, but any attempt to override it through action by the people's elected representatives will be unsuccessful.

WTF?