Washington State set to become 7th state to legalise SSM

Discussion in 'Gay & Lesbian Rights' started by DevilMay, Jan 11, 2012.

  1. DevilMay

    DevilMay Well-Known Member

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    Gay-marriage bill may be within reach in Senate
    The state Legislature is close to having enough votes to approve gay marriage, a tally by The Associated Press shows.

    By Rachel La Corte and Mike Baker
    The Associated Press

    OLYMPIA — The Legislature is on the verge of having enough support to make Washington the seventh state to approve gay marriage, according to a tally by The Associated Press.
    A same-sex marriage bill is expected to be introduced by the end of the week. The AP reached out to all 49 state senators over the past week and found that more lawmakers are firmly supporting gay marriage than opposing it, by a margin of 22-18.
    The measure needs 25 votes to pass the Senate. The House is widely expected to have enough support, and Gov. Chris Gregoire publicly endorsed gay marriage for the first time last week.
    Four Democrats say they are considering whether to support it, including one who is leaning in favor. A pair of Republicans is among those supporting the proposal, and two first-term GOP members said they are still discussing the issue with constituents.
    Democratic Sen. Ed Murray, a gay lawmaker from Seattle who has for years led efforts to approve same-sex marriage, said that he's "50 percent optimistic" it will pass. He noted that he saw a gay civil rights measure he spearheaded lose by one vote in 2005 before it passed by a single vote the following year.
    "I can't declare victory," he said. "I don't think we'll know we have the votes until we actually vote."
    Of the undecided Democrats, Sen. Rosemary McAuliffe, of Bothell, said she was likely to support the measure but not yet willing to commit.
    Three members who have previously cast votes against expanding options for gay couples — Sens. Brian Hatfield of Raymond, Jim Kastama of Puyallup and Paull Shin of Edmonds — said they were considering supporting gay marriage.
    Hatfield said it was an issue he was grappling with because he understands the opinions on both sides. He has become a devoted Christian in recent years but also talks with liberal groups. He said that he was simply "torn" by the debate and the backlash sure to come no matter what his decision is.
    "The supporters of the bill determine you're a 'hateful bigot' if you vote no, while the opponents question your faith and say you're 'turning your back on God' if you vote yes," Hatfield said.
    Hatfield and Shin both opposed a domestic partnership law in 2009. Kastama, who voted in 1998 to define marriage as between one man and one woman, supported the 2009 law and said he is now exploring what has happened in states that have approved gay marriage and is hearing arguments from both sides.
    The two Republican senators who are now supporting gay marriage — Steve Litzow of Mercer Island and Cheryl Pflug of Maple Valley — said the issue was a matter of equality.
    "I don't feel diminished when another human being is allowed to exercise the same rights that I enjoy," Pflug said. "I would feel diminished if I voted to deny others the right to exercise those same rights and freedoms."
    Two first-term Republicans representing suburban districts — Sens. Joe Fain of Auburn and Andy Hill of Redmond — also left open the possibility of supporting the bill, saying they want to discuss the issue with constituents. They declined to say whether they were leaning in any direction.
    Democratic Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen of Camano Island said she wasn't willing to support anything that didn't allow a vote of the people.
    Murray said that each undecided lawmaker he has talked with on the issue "has a very difficult personal struggle."
    "This isn't a policy debate, or something you can trade a vote for," he said. "It's such a personal decision."
    Two Democrats are among the 18 declared "no" votes on the gay marriage proposal. Sen. Curtis King, R-Yakima, previously supported domestic partnerships but said he wasn't willing to go further.
    "I would not support changing the definition of marriage," he said.
    The increased collection of support, mirroring shifts in public opinion on gay marriage, is coming 15 years after lawmakers overrode a governor's veto to pass a law defining marriage as between one man and one woman. Since then, lawmakers have expanded gay rights, including the state's initial domestic partnership law passed in 2007 and the final expansion of that law — so-called "everything but marriage" — in 2009 that was later upheld by voters.
    Gay marriage is legal in six states.
    Some Democratic supporters of gay marriage said they felt a sense of urgency to get gay marriage through the Legislature this year, in case Republican gubernatorial candidate Rob McKenna wins in November. McKenna has said he opposes same-sex marriage.

    http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2017215381_gaymarriage12.html?prmid=4939
     
  2. marbro

    marbro New Member

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    We have been counting on getting Rob McKenna in office But Its always a tough battle because of the heavy liberal influence here in the western part of the state which holds the big liberal cities.

    I think this gay marriage legislation will pass but senators Steve Litzow and Cheryl Pflug will lose their jobs for being worthless republicans who support it.
     
  3. DevilMay

    DevilMay Well-Known Member

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    I've never understood that view: why would breaking away from your party on ONE issue because basically that's what your constituents support, make you "worthless"...?
     
  4. Makedde

    Makedde New Member Past Donor

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    Excellent news! I hope it passes!
     
  5. marbro

    marbro New Member

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    If they are going to make Marriage a government issue then you have to answer to the parties. Right now the republican party is ruled by "social conservitives" and they will try to get rid of them. Cant say I will go out of my way to stop them either. I dont believe that marriage has any business in state or federal law but it does.
     
  6. DevilMay

    DevilMay Well-Known Member

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    Marriage has long been an institution of law which grants thousands of state-level and federal benefits. If you are one of the "get the government out of marriage" crowd, what is it that think should REPLACE it in terms of said rights, or do you think it should be scrapped entirely?

    Because you should know bar those like Ron Paul(*)that's not the mainstream Republican view. Most firmly believe in keeping marriage a government issue.
     
  7. dixon76710

    dixon76710 Well-Known Member

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    Your obssession with gay marriage in the US and moral indignation for those in the US who oppose it seems odd considering that gay marriage is banned at the federal level in Australia.
     
  8. sec

    sec Well-Known Member

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    BINGO

    you are finally getting it

    you don't keep tossing fuel onto a fire which is all that the gay movenment is doing. Get politicans out of the bedroom. People are people whether they are married or single. The only difference should be that we help those raising children a little bit and always give a little to those serving in the military.


    other than that, call yourself husband/wife or wife/wife or whatever. I'm sure divorce lawyers would not like any of this but they could get into contract law.
     
  9. DevilMay

    DevilMay Well-Known Member

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    I'm sure he opposes that as much as he opposes any US ban. It just so happens that the US is a veritable hotspot for legal activity on SSM, with the main focus of discussion on these forums being on, yep you guessed it.. America.
     
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  10. Johnny-C

    Johnny-C Well-Known Member

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    People capable of seeing beyond their own personal views, realize that equality for homosexual people is an important matter period.

    I don't think the above describes YOU.
     
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  11. DevilMay

    DevilMay Well-Known Member

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    Well personally I believe in marriage as an institution and believe SSM will strengthen it. The rights, privileges and benefits it grants are nothing to sneer at, they are in fact extremely helpful for many people and beneficial to society as a whole. The government aren't imposing anything you don't want, you have to APPLY be married, so I'm not sure how it's "interference". If you don't want one, don't get one.

    It's still not clear what your aim is though. Do you want to rename marriage but keep all its rights and responsibilities in tact? Or simply abolish it and anything like it? Because ANYTHING similar would still be "government overreach" by your logic.
     
  12. Osiris Faction

    Osiris Faction Well-Known Member

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    Sounds like pretty good new to me.

    Washington state would be an excellent addition to the states with legalized same sex marriage.
     
  13. megatron

    megatron New Member

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    why on earth do you care who marries who?
     
  14. Osiris Faction

    Osiris Faction Well-Known Member

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    Don't you know?

    Some people just can't stand the idea of others being happier than they are.
     
  15. DevilMay

    DevilMay Well-Known Member

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    I'm sure you've all heard.. But the Washington state senate passed the bill with 4 Republicans voting in favour (28 - 21).. Passage is all but assured in the assembly and the governor has pledged to sign it. Opponents have untill June to collect the 120,000 signatures necessary to get it on the ballot, otherwise it becomes law.
     
  16. Osiris Faction

    Osiris Faction Well-Known Member

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    Awesome sauce.

    Good to hear.
     
  17. marbro

    marbro New Member

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  18. Osiris Faction

    Osiris Faction Well-Known Member

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    Looks like you might be wrong there.
     
  19. marbro

    marbro New Member

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    I am confident we will get enough sigs for this. I admit I am not that confident we will be able to stop it in the end as I have said in my other thread about this topic.

    But no marriage in June:worry:

    But the gay folks can wait till Janurary right? Not like they have not been waiting a long time whats a few more months :grin:
     
  20. DevilMay

    DevilMay Well-Known Member

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    Seems like a stalling technique on your behalf then :/ I really don't understand why people want to put this to another vote. The public already voted for gay rights three years ago and now they're going to vote on a name. Regardless of its chances of passing its the legislative body who are elected to make these decisions, completely within their constitutional powers... Hell, you may aswell put everything to a referendum. People say SSM affects them but unless you're gay or wanting to marry a member of your own sex it really doesn't. Anything relating to budgets or taxes have a greater impact on the public than this!
     
  21. Johnny-C

    Johnny-C Well-Known Member

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    Yeah; I hope it passes as well.
     
  22. Johnny-C

    Johnny-C Well-Known Member

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    YOU aren't the only one passionate about what you think is right or wrong, dixon.

    And welcome to 2012, where we already know the world is NOT as 'disconnected' as you would like. You are foolish, to suggest that participating in and INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL FORUM, would not elicit views from other who are rightly interested in American politics and law.

    And you use the word "obsession", as if it does not apply EVEN MORE TO YOURSELF, than most others posting within this forum. Please, get a grip and see yourself more as others likely see you.
     
  23. marbro

    marbro New Member

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    it's within our rights to bring it to a vote. Today it's for my cause tomorrow it may be for yours.
     
  24. dixon76710

    dixon76710 Well-Known Member

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    But I live in the US. Mak lives in Australia where same sex marriage is banned at the federal level.
     
  25. Johnny-C

    Johnny-C Well-Known Member

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    That's irrelevant. She can relate an opinion if she wishes. Let's see if you can be more reasonable or relevant than she is; just try to be.

    I don't CARE that you are an American (and she isn't) in this case. In my opinion, she is making more sense than you do about these things. You are foolish to assume that her being "Australian" means that she cannot see things as clearly as she obviously does. The 'objectivity' she possesses (due to her nationality) is actually somewhat of a blessing, in reality.
     

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