Marriage

I haven't written anything about this for a while, and things have been moving. Let's see if I can pull something together.

First, from Pam's House Blend, this report from Washington state:

Lawmakers have chosen today - the day that millions across the country celebrate the bonds of affection shared between two people in love - as the day to introduce major legislation that would no longer restrict gays and lesbians from their right to marry.

Today is not the first time the issue of marriage equality for gays and lesbians and the Valentine's Day holiday have crossed paths.

In early February of 1998, in what has proven to be the darkest of Valentine's for gay and lesbian families in our state, the Legislature enshrined discrimination as the law of the land in Washington by overriding the veto of then-Gov. Gary Locke to approve the so-called "Defense of Marriage Act."

Let's not start cheering -- a marriage bill has been introduced in every session of the legislature for years; maybe this year it will finally make it out of committee. From The Stranger:

Murray acknowledges that the bill isn't going anywhere this year.

The legislature doesn't have the votes, and if it did, the law probably wouldn't survive the referendum that conservatives would gleefully run to put it on the ballot. Murray has introduced a marriage-equality bill in every legislative biennium since 1997 and none has ever even gotten out of committee, he says. But it's not about passing it this year. Murray insists it's about "raising the flag" to call for a better ground game outside Seattle; actually passing the bill is the "end game." Murray points out that, of the 14 Dem cosponsors, some have never signed on before (including Sens Eide and McAuliffe), and that's a sign the legislature will warm up—eventually.

In Maryland, the marriage bill needs 24 votes in the Senate to pass. It now has 23. Via AmericaBlog Gay:

This year changes in a key senate panel delivered advocates the best chance they've ever had to legalize same-sex marriage. They believe that they have the 29 votes needed to cut off debate in the chamber and vote. The bill is expected to be voted out of committee this Thursday.

Remember, Maggie Gallagher's testimony against SSM was crucial in changing some minds -- in our favor.

Rhode Island seem to have broad support for marriage, but there's the little matter of legislative politics. From the Boston Globe, a few days ago:

Hundreds of people turned out at the Statehouse Wednesday to testify or hear from advocates and opponents of a bill that would legalize same-sex marriage in Rhode Island.

People on both sides rallied in the Statehouse rotunda ahead of the hearing before the House Judiciary Committee. The legislation has been introduced several times over the years, but failed amid opposition from previous Republican Gov. Don Carcieri and former legislative leaders. This year, advocates are optimistic because it has the support of new independent Gov. Lincoln Chafee and Democratic House Speaker Gordon Fox, who is gay and is a co-sponsor of the bill.

Here's a more detailed discussion from The Rainbow Times.

In New Hampshire, the bid to repeal the state's marriage law is up for grabs. 62% of the electorate oppose repeal, and that's going to have an effect in the legislature. From Seacoastonline:

Predictions on both sides are that the repeal will pass in the House and Senate, will be vetoed by Gov. John Lynch, and the battle will come over the effort to overturn or sustain the veto. A two-thirds affirmative vote is needed in both houses to overturn. . . .

The UNH Survey Center's Smith said he believes a repeal effort will ultimately fail. "The Republican electorate in New Hampshire is a moderate to liberal electorate, as compared to their counterparts nationwide," he said. "And politicians want to get re-elected. Eventually, the people in Concord are going to say, 'If I want my job, I better not vote to repeal.'"

I think repeal will fail -- no one has any real stomach for it, and the NOM brigade has to pressure the legislature to get a bill to the floor, which I don't think they can do.

As a sidebar, Illinois' civil unions bill has been signed and is now law. The consensus is that the push for full marriage will happen within the next couple of years. And Colorado is now considering a civil unions bill.

I'm not going to get into the situation in New York -- it's still too murky (although Gov. Cuomo is insisting it's going to happen this year) -- and we can write New Jersey off, at least until Gov. Christie finishes trashing the state's finances and gets his ass canned.

And one thing that's not happening here, but that I think will have a lot of resonance: The UK is moving very fast on full marriage rights:

The government is expected to announce full marriage equality for gays and lesbians under reforms to marriage laws to be announced later this week. The reported move will end the final major legal discrimination against gays and lesbians in Britain.

According to the Sunday Times, a proposal to end the ban on same sex marriage will be announced by the Liberal Democrat equality minister Lynne Featherstone at the same time as the government announces the time table for civil partnerships to be held in religious buildings.

This is from a report two days ago.

Gone are the days when 70% majorities would put an anti-marriage amendment in state constitutions. (And those are all vulnerable to 14th Amendment challenges, and I can hardly wait.)

And that's all I have to say on the matter right now.