Committee approves gay marriage bill (Maine)

[fight4my3sons]

The Legislature’s Judiciary Committee voted 11-2-1 today in support of a bill to allow gay marriage in Maine.

Eleven members voted in favor of the bill, two voted against it, and one voted to send it to referendum.

http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/newsupdate.php?updates/committee-approves-gay-marriage-bill

[bluedawg12]

1. That's great! n/t

[Veruca Salt]

2. Awesome!

When do we become the next state with marriage equality? Hm, I should go do some research to see how long this process will take. :woohoo:

[fight4my3sons]

3. I'm not sure how long it takes either. Here is a link to today's article.

You may have seen it already. It shows how each committee member voted. :hi:

http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=253508&ac=PHnws

[JackBeck]

4. From the team that stayed behind after this past weekend

I received a Tweet late last night that the vote will be in the next 48 hours. This has taken many of us be surprise since we had planned for the Judiciary vote to happen 5 weeks from now.

[Veruca Salt]

9. Seriously?! That's excellent!

I'll keep my eye out for it but I'm sure if I don't see it on the local news I'll hear it on DU first! :woohoo: And thank you so much for the info!

[fight4my3sons]

11. I just read on facebook that the senate is voting today

I have not seen that info anywhere else, but if I see any other information I will post it.

Thank you for your update. I am not on Twitter, so I don't get tweets. It took me a while to make the leap to FB.

[JackBeck]

12. Update from PHB:

Maine Senate To Take Up LD 1020 TODAY

by: Louise
Thu Apr 30, 2009 at 08:08:38 AM EDT

Quick post; am going to be at Statehouse hopefully speaking with my state senator in an hour and then watch the Senate- they convene at 10am.


Maine Senate Video link:http://www.maine.gov/legis/senateV.html

Maine Senate Audio link:

http://www.maine.gov/legis/senate/audio/AudioPlayer.htm

Twitter links (Shenna Bellows of MCLU and mine):

http://twitter.com/shennabellows

http://twitter.com/LouisePHB

GOOD LUCK TO ALL!

http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/10703/maine-senate-to-take-up-ld-1020-today

Unfortunately, I will be out of the office all day delivering the third day of a four day training, so I won't be able to follow along. I look forward to checking in on my BB during breaks, though.

I was in Portland from Thursday to Sunday last week fund raising and canvassing. We didn't think the Judiciary vote would be for another 5 weeks, and by the time I got home Sunday night, word had spread that this was all going down this week, so there are some frayed nerves, but we're confident it will pass. It's the inevitable http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/Maine_Initiative_and_Referendum_Law">veto referendum in November that we are more concerned about and have been preparing for.

[fight4my3sons]

13. Thank you! and finally the Portland Press Herald added a story

http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/newsupdate.php?updates/senate-gay-marriage-vote-today

The Maine Senate is expected to take its first vote today on a bill that would allow same-sex couples to marry in Maine.

Opponents said they are prepared to present lawmakers with more than 10,000 signatures in opposition to the bill. Marc Mutty, of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland, called it “an avalanche of opposition,” in a news release.

The Senate session begins at 10 a.m. A spokesman for the House Majority Office said even if the House gets the bill today, it is not expected to take action until next week.


Edited for spelling. (hard to spell over the sound of screaming twins at play) :)

[Veruca Salt]

8. "Never have I been prouder of my legislators," he said. "They stood up for civil rights."

That's a beautiful and true statement without any parsing of words for once!

Thank you, I hadn't seen this yet! :hug:

[Duncan Grant]

5. "This is a hugely moral issue and you people are not moral leaders," she shouted.

Again we see the truth of those who oppose civil equality for gay and lesbian people: it is a moral issue.

The irony kills me every time. It's moral to brutalize, oppress, castigate, disparage, and complicate at every turn, the lives of LGBT people.

Three cheers for morality! Hip-hip hurray (x3).

[indigo32]

6. they have a very twisted

understanding of what morality is.

[Duncan Grant]

7. Once upon a time, there was no scarcity of loaves and fishes.

There's nothing generous about morality these days...

[Veruca Salt]

10. What kills me is they take these stances from a strictly religious standpoint

and act as if theirs is the only religion who has absolute say on morality when there are other religions who will wed two people of the same gender and consider it a family unit. Hell, there are christian denominations who do this! When anyone tries to bring up 'morality' I always bring this fact up. One religion does not have special standing to delegate their beliefs onto another religion (or denomination).

Separation of church and state. I do believe that's in one of our important governing documents...