Same-Sex Marriage Update

[MsTinkerbelly]

Love Honor Cherish cancels Prop 8 ballot repeal initiative
By Jacob Combs

Last night, some big Prop 8 news came out of California as Love Honor Cherish, which had begun the process to collect signatures and place a repeal of Prop 8 on the November ballot, announced that it is canceling that effort. In an email to its supporters, LHC wrote:

Following last week’s victory in the 9th Circuit, we are now hopeful that weddings of gay and lesbian couples will resume by the end of this year, or even, at the end of this month. And what an incredible day that will be when gays and lesbians are able to marry again in California!

In the meantime, our “backup plan” to put the repeal of Prop 8 on the ballot this November is no longer feasible. Although we have had success so far–our wonderful volunteers, significant donor commitments, our campaign office, and support from numerous leaders and organizations around the state–collecting the 807,615 valid signatures required will likely not happen by mid-April as required to qualify for the November 2012 ballot.

We would need more than $1.5 million in donor commitments to hire a paid signature gathering firm to assist us in this massive effort. In view of the 9th Circuit victory and the narrowness of the ruling, making Supreme Court review less likely, raising the additional funds needed is now not realistic. And, as we have stated, we had no illusions that the initiative could qualify based solely on our statewide volunteer signature gathering effort

[iamkeri1]

(((Miss T,)))
I know you were committed to this proposition. I hope you are not too disappointed about the decision to halt the process. From your lips to God's ears that Cali folk will be back in the marriage business by years end.
Smooches,
Keri

[MsTinkerbelly]

Originally Posted by iamkeri1

(((Miss T,)))
I know you were committed to this proposition. I hope you are not too disappointed about the decision to halt the process. From your lips to God's ears that Cali folk will be back in the marriage business by years end.
Smooches,
Keri

I was really crushed by the people of California voting in Prop 8...I spent weeks grieving for the slap. Ideally I would love for people to change their minds, vote Prop 8 down and have a Kumbaya moment where we are all as one, but pffffttt that one is never going to happen and no one should get to vote on my civil rights anyway.

I firmally believe that even if everyone has to wait a while, the Government is going to have to force this issue for it to be something that is available to all that want it. I'm already married in my State, but Federal recognition and the benefits that go along with marriage are what I am really after.

[MsTinkerbelly]

Marriage equality opponents file referendum paperwork in Washington
By Jacob Combs

As expected, opponents of marriage equality have filed paperwork in Washington state to put a referendum of the state’s recently passed marriage bill on the November ballot. SeatllePI reports:

Opponents of same-sex marriage, seeking to force a referendum on Washington’s new law, filed the paperwork in Olympia about three hours after Gov. Chris Gregoire signed marriage equality into law.

They have until June 6, a political D-Day for collecting and submitting 120,577 valid voter signatures to put marriage equality on the November ballot. The right of same-sex couples to wed would be blocked until voters decide the issue.

…

Sponsors of Referendum 73 include groups at the right end of the political spectrum such as Concerned Women for America and the National Organization for Marriage. The campaign is being mounted under the banner of a group called Preserve Marriage Washington. Backholm predicted that the campaign will be “expensive”, with estimates in the $2-4 million range for each side.

Conservatives forced a statewide referendum in 2009 in a bid to roll back the a domestic partner law, nicknamed “Everything but Marriage,” after it was passed by the Washington Legislature. Voters by a 53-47 percent margin voted to sustain the rights of domestic partners.

[MsTinkerbelly]

Maryland’s marriage equality bill heads to full House after passing committee vote
By Jacob Combs

Yesterday, two Maryland House of Delegates committees which heard testimony on a proposed marriage equality bill last Friday voted as a joint body to advance the bill to a full House vote. The joint committee vote required a majority of the 45 legislators to move the bill to the House; it passed 25-18.

As the Baltimore Sun reported, yesterday’s vote did hold a few surprises. Delegate Robert Costa, who represents a conservative area in Anne Arundel County, took supporters of marriage equality by surprise when he voted yes, becoming the only Republican so far to do. Del. Sam Arora, whose relationship with the LGBT community has been on rocky ground, abstained from the vote. Arora included marriage equality in his platform when he ran for office, garnering cash and political support from progressives and the LGBT community, co-sponsored last year’s marriage equality bill, and then later issued a statement saying he had changed his mind about marriage rights but would still vote for the bill.

Last year, two delegates who had co-sponsored the legislation, Jill Carter of Baltimore and Tiffany Alston of Prince George’s County, stunned supporters by dropping their support for the measure. Alston voted against moving the bill out of committee this year, and also introduced an amendment that would delay the bill’s effective date to allow for a voter referendum before it would go into effect. That measure failed. Carter has not co-sponsored the bill this year, saying her support for marriage equality had “diminished,” but did vote to move it to the House floor.

Supporters of the bill have expressed optimism, saying they believed House leaders would move the measure to a full floor vote only if they thought it could pass. Last year, the Judiciary committee, which was the only one to hear testimony on a marriage equality bill, voted to send it to the full House, only to have it sent back to committee when support dried up, killing the measure. This year, only 11 of the 21 Jucidiary committee members voted in favor of the bill, although 15 of the 23 members on the health committee, a majority, voted yes.

What does this all mean? Essentially, if marriage equality does come up for a full House vote in Maryland this year, which it looks like it will, it’s going to be a very close vote that will probably come down to the few legislators still sitting on the fence. If you live in Maryland or know anyone who does, it’s time to contact those representatives! Maryland could be another win for 2012, but it’s going to be an uphill battle getting there

[iamkeri1]

Did they request a stay so that marriages will not be able to take place while the opponents seek signatures to get it on the ballot or it is defeated at the polls?
Smooches,
Keri

Originally Posted by MsTinkerbelly

Marriage equality opponents file referendum paperwork in Washington
By Jacob Combs

As expected, opponents of marriage equality have filed paperwork in Washington state to put a referendum of the state’s recently passed marriage bill on the November ballot. SeatllePI reports:

Opponents of same-sex marriage, seeking to force a referendum on Washington’s new law, filed the paperwork in Olympia about three hours after Gov. Chris Gregoire signed marriage equality into law.

They have until June 6, a political D-Day for collecting and submitting 120,577 valid voter signatures to put marriage equality on the November ballot. The right of same-sex couples to wed would be blocked until voters decide the issue.

…

Sponsors of Referendum 73 include groups at the right end of the political spectrum such as Concerned Women for America and the National Organization for Marriage. The campaign is being mounted under the banner of a group called Preserve Marriage Washington. Backholm predicted that the campaign will be “expensive”, with estimates in the $2-4 million range for each side.

Conservatives forced a statewide referendum in 2009 in a bid to roll back the a domestic partner law, nicknamed “Everything but Marriage,” after it was passed by the Washington Legislature. Voters by a 53-47 percent margin voted to sustain the rights of domestic partners.

[MsTinkerbelly]

Originally Posted by iamkeri1

Did they request a stay so that marriages will not be able to take place while the opponents seek signatures to get it on the ballot or it is defeated at the polls?
Smooches,
Keri

The 9th Circut Court left the stay in place until their Mandate could be put into effect, or until another appeal was filed by the other side.
From post 881:
UPDATE 1: From the ruling, p. 80, footnote 27:
“The stay pending appeal issued by this court on August 16, 2010 remains in effect pending issuance of the mandate.”
UPDATE 2: The National Center for Lesbian Rights’s senior attorney, Chris Stoll, shares his thoughts with us on the next steps of the trial:
The stay is still in effect. Footnote 27 the opinion says that the previously issued stay remains in effect pending issuance of the mandate. Mandate issues 7 days after the deadline for filing a petition for rehearing expires, or 7 days after petition for rehearing is denied, whichever is later. I expect that the proponents will ask for a further stay from 9th Circuit, and if that is not granted, they will ask the Supreme Court

[MsTinkerbelly]

Civil union bill passes Colorado House panel
By Jacob Combs

Yesterday, the Colorado Senate Judiciary Committee voted 5-2 to advance a civil union bill to the Senate floor. One Republican joined the committee’s four democrats to vote yes on the measure. The bill is expected to pass the Democrat-controlled Senate, but its passage is unclear in the House, where Republicans hold a majority by a margin of one vote. From the Washington Post:

The bill addresses parental rights and child support when a same-sex couple separates. The bill would also grant same-sex couples other rights similar to what exist in a traditional marriage, such as the ability to be involved in their partner’s medical and end-of-life decisions. It also would enhance inheritance and property rights.

Colorado banned marriage equality in 2006, when voters amended the state constitution to restrict marriage to heterosexual couples. Last year, a similar bill passed the Senate, only to be killed in a House committee on a party-line vote. Rep. Mark Ferrandino, a gay legislator who supported the 2011 bill, told reporters that he was confident the measure would have passed a full house vote. This year could prove differently, with more Republicans in the state expressing support for the measure. Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper also mentioned the bill in his State of the State speech in January, urging lawmakers to pass it and provide protections for Colorado’s gay and lesbian couples

[MsTinkerbelly]

Originally Posted by iamkeri1

Did they request a stay so that marriages will not be able to take place while the opponents seek signatures to get it on the ballot or it is defeated at the polls?
Smooches,
Keri

Oh jeez, you were asking about Washington! I believe that the side wishing to force a vote has until June to gather enough signatures to put it to a vote to repeal it in November. I think they call it a referendum.

[MsTinkerbelly]

Originally Posted by iamkeri1

Did they request a stay so that marriages will not be able to take place while the opponents seek signatures to get it on the ballot or it is defeated at the polls?
Smooches,
Keri

At the earliest, Marriage cannot begin until the legislature finishes their session...I think that is June as well.

[MsTinkerbelly]

New Jersey Assembly passes marriage equality bill
By Jacob Combs

Updated at 6:15 to reflect accurate vote count–apparently one assembly member’s button was broken during the vote.

In a late afternoon vote, the New Jersey General Assembly passed marriage equality on a vote of 42-33. The measure passed the Senate earlier this week by a 24-16 margin. The bill now goes to the desk of Gov. Chris Christie, who has promised to veto it.
The Washington Post reports on supporters’ next move should Christie keep true to his veto threat:

The bill would need several Republican votes in each house to override the governor; Christie himself essentially guaranteed that that won’t happen.

With that in mind, Democrats who identified same-sex marriage as their No. 1 priority for the two-year legislative session that began in January have adopted a longer view. They say there’s no rush for an override vote, especially because the Legislature has been unsuccessful in every prior attempt to override Christie, most notably to reinstate a surcharge on millionaires.

Instead, they plan to bide their time in hopes that support for gay marriage — currently 52-42 percent in New Jersey, according to one recent voter poll — will continue to grow.

“Civil rights is incremental, civil rights is long range, and you take one achievement at a time,” said Steven Goldstein, head of the state’s largest gay rights group, Garden State Equality.

In case same-sex couples can’t win gay marriage through legislation, they have engaged in a parallel fight in the courts. Seven gay couples and several of their children have sued, claiming that the state’s civil union law doesn’t work as intended