Wash. Lawmaker Introduces Valentine's Day Gay Marriage Bill

[FreeState]

What a great gift for the day...

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=133763097&ft=3&f=133763097

OLYMPIA, Wash. – Lawmakers in Olympia don't expect to pass many hot-button social bills in the midst of the budget crisis. But gay rights advocates took Valentine's Day as an opportunity to make the case for same-sex marriage.

It was Valentine's Day in 1998 that Washington lawmakers voted to ban gay marriage. Since then Washington has legalized domestic partnerships. But Democratic State Senator Ed Murray thought Valentine's Day was just the right time to introduce a bill to recognize gay and lesbian marriage.

He says it's appropriate even while lawmakers spend most of their time trying to balance the budget.

Ed Murray: "It's a terrible economic time for everyone in the state, but imagine those families that don't have the protection of marriage, so I think introducing it this year, I think its a good idea." Still Murray concedes lawmakers are not likely to pass gay marriage this year.

[msongs]

1. gay marriage might generate some income for the state n local governments eh? nt

[ShadowLiberal]

2. Does it stand a chance of actually passing?

It would be great for the state's economy to be the only state in the area with gay marriage, but does it stand a chance at passing? I can't find the answer after a few minutes of looking up this story on google.

[customerserviceguy]

7. Washington State is the only place

where voters rejected an attempt to limit the "everything but the name marriage" law that Gov. Gregoire signed into law in 2009. The rejection of the fundie stance was 53% to 47%.

If the state legislature decided to turn this into a referendum where the people would have a vote, I think we'd be pleasantly surprised with the results. It's a live-and-let-live culture out in the Northwest, they let people do whatever they want to, as long as it's not hurting anybody else.

[rustydog]

3. Ed Murray is cool.

[Orangepeel]

4. Good for Washington! Maryland's almost there!

That gives the legislation a solid 23 yes votes, out of 24 needed for Senate approval. Sen. Joan Carter Conway has said that if she appears to be the 24th vote, she will "pray really hard" and decide what to do.

With the Senate's approval, the same-sex marriage plan would move to the House of Delegates, where it has at least enough votes to make it out of committee and to the floor for a full-chamber debate.

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/local/politics/2011/02/sen_klausmeier_also_to_vote_ye.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+marylandpolitics_blog+%28Maryland+Politics%29

[Starry Messenger]

5. k&r

[customerserviceguy]

6. I've got a quibble with one of the quoted lines

"It was Valentine's Day in 1998 that Washington lawmakers voted to ban gay marriage."

Does that mean equal marriage was legal before that time? I think the wording should be, "It was Valentine's Day in 1998 that Washington lawmakers failed to accord respect to gay marriage."