Washington House sends marriage equity bill to governor's desk
Kari Chisholm
Cartoon by Jesse Springer, springercreative.com
It's perfect timing for Valentine's Day. The Governor has five days from today to sign a law that will legalize marriage for all consenting adult couples, gay and straight.
"Marriage is the word our society uses to describe committed lifelong relationships," said Rep. Jamie Pedersen, D-Seattle, a gay lawmaker who helped lead efforts to push the bill through the Legislature.
"I would like for our four children ... to grow up understanding that their daddy and papa have made the kind of lifelong commitment to each other," Pedersen said. "Marriage is the word we use in our society to convey that idea."
Congratulations to our neighbors to the north.
Discuss.
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10:15 a.m.
Feb 9, '12
As an Oregon native, it's painful that Washington has beaten us on this, and we still have discrimination written into our Constitution.
Come on, Oregon, let's get on the ball and bring marriage equality to our state!
p.s. Good going, Washington!
3:31 p.m.
Feb 9, '12
What is for me more painful is the realization that at the core of the discussion on marriage equality is the issue of equal protection and the right to privacy that begins with Griswold v Connecticut.
The painful part? The current president is as enthusiastic about destroying the Bill of Rights and the Constitution as Santorum, Gingrich or and other fascist.
So you get a marriage equality battle and martial law.
7:29 p.m.
Feb 9, '12
If you haven't viewed this speech from the Washington Leg., watch it to the end. It just gets better. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=CbmbdWK6338
11:23 a.m.
Feb 10, '12
Good on Washington! A luta continua.
12:17 p.m.
Feb 10, '12
It is going to be a tough battle at the November election to uphold this progressive legislation. The usual evil suspects are massing at our borders with various proposals to put on the WA November ballot in their misguided effort to overturn marriage equality. WA's November ballot appears to offer a wide variety of interesting progressive legislation - statewide legalization of recreational marijuana, confirmation of equality in marriage rights, and who knows what else. And of course we will be trying out our newly redistricted Congressional races as well, plus trying to deliver WA's electoral votes for President Obama.
Oregon volunteers and political donations are welcome!
10:29 a.m.
Feb 11, '12
A few years back, just prior to the passage of the Oregon "One Man, One Woman" ballot measure (I'm sure we all remember those bumper stickers), I happened to be attending a Roman Catholic mass at St.Mary's Cathedral in NW PDX. In the homily, from the pulpit, the priest (or bishop- not sure who it was) advocated signing the initiative and said that there are petition forms in the vestibule of the Cathedral. So, if not advocating for individual candidates, would this behavior be allowable as the Church is 501(c)3?
12:50 p.m.
Feb 13, '12
OK. The bill is signed. Oregon now, officially, has the most backward human rights regime of any state on the West Coast.