NH House Approves Marriage Equality

via Boston.com
The House has voted to make New Hampshire the third state allowing gays to marry two years after they granted them the right to enter into civil unions.

The House voted 186-179 to send the bill to the Senate. The first attempt to pass the bill fell one vote short, but opponents were unable to kill it. The House then reconsidered and passed the measure.

Call you RI legislator and senator today and let them know we should not be New England’s Island of Inequality anymore!!!

• RI Senate Contact Information List
• RI House Contact Information List

Vermont Gov. Vows to Veto Marriage Bill

Vermont Governor Jim Douglas announced yesterday that he intends to veto the marriage bill, recently passed by a wide margin in the Senate, once it reaches his desk. The Governor stated the following as his reasoning:

“I believe our civil union law serves Vermont well …” Douglas told a gathering of reporters and onlookers at a hastily called news conference in the Pavilion Building. “I believe that marriage should remain between a man and a woman. … I’m announcing that I intend to veto this legislation when it reaches my desk.”

Currently the bill is awaiting vote in the house and it is unclear whether or not supporters will have the 100 votes needed to override.

‘I intend to veto’ gay marriage (Burlington Free Press)
Full Text of Governor’s Annoucement (Burlington Free Press)
VT Gov. Douglas Issues Marriage Bill Veto Threat (Pam’s House Blend)
Vermont governor says he’d veto same-sex marriage bill (CNN)

Vermont begins hearings on same-sex marriage bill

MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — Nine years after it played host to a bitter fight over civil unions, Vermont’s Statehouse is again a gay rights battleground.

More than 200 same-sex marriage opponents, cheering and wearing buttons that read “Marriage — A Mother & Father for Every Child,” converged Monday on Montpelier as lawmakers began a week’s worth of hearings on a bill that would allow gay and lesbian couples to marry. If approved, Vermont would join Massachusetts and Connecticut as the only U.S. states that allow gay marriage.

The measure would replace Vermont’s first-in-the-nation civil unions law with one that allows marriage of same-sex partners beginning Sept. 1. Civil unions, which confer some rights similar to marriage, would still be recognized but no longer granted after Sept. 1. Supporters cast the debate as a civil rights issue, saying a civil unions law enacted by the state in 2000 has fallen short of the equality it promised same-sex couples. Its appeal has declined, too: In 2001, the state granted 1,876 civil unions, compared with only 262 last year.

Passing a gay marriage bill “is one of the most important civil rights issues of our time,” said Greg Johnson, a Vermont Law School professor who testified before the state Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday. While the bill won’t guarantee federal benefits, supporters say it would provide societal recognition, improve access to health benefits and eliminate one of two obstacles to federal protections such as Social Security survivor benefits.

Opponents say gay marriage would undermine traditional male-female marriage, rendering men and women interchangeable and destroying the connection between children and marriage. They want the question put to voters in a referendum.

Legislative leaders announced two weeks ago that they intended to pass the bill — titled “An act relating to civil marriage” — before adjourning in May, and they have scheduled hearings to get testimony on the legal, social and practical implications of it.

A public hearing is scheduled for Wednesday night at the Capitol, which was the epicenter of the fight in 2000, when the issue divided Vermont and partisans endured hate mail, threatening telephone messages and tense public meetings.

On Monday, opponents organized by churches and a pair of anti-gay marriage groups flooded the hallways of the Capitol and packed into a committee room for a strategy session with Stephen Cable, president of Vermont Renewal.

Supporters wearing lime-green buttons that read “From Legal Rights to Equal Rights” numbered about 50. Beth Robinson, chairwoman of the Vermont Freedom to Marry Task Force, said her side was focused on showing its strength in numbers on Wednesday for the public hearing. Robinson, a lawyer who worked on the court case that led to the creation of civil unions, told the Senate Judiciary Committee that civil unions were a “painful compromise” that left gay couples feeling like second-class citizens.

“It’s the fact of that separation itself that does the harm. And that really does affect every member of the community,” she said.

Statehouse security was beefed up for the day, but there were no arrests or problems — other than a scramble for seats in a 60-seat committee room, which forced some people to listen to the hearing from a hallway.

Some were upset they wouldn’t get to vote, saying gay marriage is too important to be decided only by lawmakers.

“We didn’t vote them in to re-engineer society, we elected them in to manage our finances,” said Deborah Billado, a 55-year-old entrepreneur from Essex Junction. “Such a huge issue should go to the people,” said Billado. She wouldn’t say whether she favors gay marriage or not.

Also Monday, a national group launched a radio campaign aimed at marshaling opposition to gay marriage in northern New England.

The “Don’t Mess with Marriage” ads, which will be aired in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont, are sponsored by the National Organization for Marriage, a Princeton, N.J., group that has been active in fighting same-sex marriage initiatives in California and elsewhere. (Click here to visit MERI prior post about NOM radio ads that ran in RI.)

Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. By JOHN CURRAN

Illinois Hearing Civil Unions Bill Today

In Illinois, the House Youth and Family Committee hearing for civil unions, called the Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act. Hearings begin at 9:00AM. The bill can be read here.

Like in California, the Morman Church is gathering resources and attempting to influence lawmakers in Illinois. To fight this effort and pro-marriage equality groups, like the HRC, are striking back. The HRC has launched an online grassroots campaign to counter LDS efforts, reaching out to its 35,000 Illinois members. Supporters are encouraged to contact their Illinois legislators and voice their support for the civil union measure.

h/t Pam’s House Blend and Advocate

Hawaii Civil Union Bill Passes House

Via Keori on Pam’s House Blend

Today was the third and final reading in the Hawaii State House of Representatives for HB444, a bill for Civil Unions. The bill was introduced on January 23 by Rep. Blake Oshiro, with 32 co-sponsors. We went through the lobby process, passed the first reading, went through a hearing with the Judiciary committee, were referred back to the House, passed the second hearing, and now we have passed the third and final hearing. The voting total was 34 yes, 17 no, 1 excused. The bill for Civil Unions has been referred to the Senate.

Read the entire Live Blog Diary

Utah’s Gov. Huntsman Drops “Big, Fat, Political Bombshell”

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 News) – The republican governor of Utah, Jon Huntsman Jr., is dropping a big, fat political bombshell right in the middle of the state capitol.

He is endorsing same sex civil unions, and that has made Huntsman a hero to some Utahns and a traitor to others.

“I believe in traditional marriage. I always have. But I also believe there’s more we can do in terms of enhancing those individual rights for others.” -Utah Governor Jon M. Huntsman Jr.

ABC 4 asked Huntsman, “You support civil unions?”

Gov. Jon Huntsman replied, “Well, its something I have given a lot of thought to and the answer is yes.”

And no sooner had Utah’s governor said that, then the state Senate’s only openly gay member Scott McCoy said, “He knows the Utah legislature. He knows the Utah public. I think coming out in favor of a civil union was a courageous act.”

READ THE STORY AND WATCH THE VIDEO

GayPolitics.com: Utah Governor Supports Civil Unions

Lamda Legal Argues Same-Sex Hospital Visitation Lawsuit

Miami Hospital Tries To Block Lawsuit In Hospital Visitation Case

It’s hard to believe that in this day a hospital will block someone from seeing their partner, especially when all of the medical powers of attorney paperwork are in place and properly signed and notarized. It’s harder still to believe that such a hospital would continue to defend its inhuman policies.

The case began in February 2007, when Janice Langbehn and her partner Lisa Marie Pond, with three of their four children, were in Miami, Florida preparing for a cruise to celebrate their eighteenth anniversary. But before the cruise could leave port, Lisa Marie suffered a massive stroke and was taken to Jackson Memorial. Hospital personnel refused to let Langbehn into Pond’s hospital room, even after a legal power of attorney was faxed to the hospital. Pond was pronounced dead of a brain aneurysm about eighteen hours after being admitted to the hospital. The only time Langbehn was allowed to see her partner was when a priest was giving her last rites.

Read the Story, Box Turtle Bulletin

Hawaii Civil Union Bill Passes House Judiciary Committee

Yesterday in Hawaii, the state House Judiciary Committee approved House Bill 444, which would allow same-sex couples to enter into a civil unions. The bill would give same-sex couples who enter into civil unions the same rights under state law as heterosexual couples. with the same set of rights as their married heterosexual counter-parts .

Family Equality Coalition is very excited to inform you that House Bill 444, “A Bill For An Act Relating To Civil Unions” passed out of the House Judiciary Committee with bipartisan support on 2/5/09 by a unanimous vote. 12 of the 16 House Judiciary Committee members were present for the vote and all 12 voted in support of our bill! Our success today was very much due to the hard work done by our members as well as our coalition partners. Mahalo to everyone on this joint communal effort!

This is only the first step in the process and although it has a rough road ahead, there is a lot of positive thought behind the bills ability to pass. The bill now goes to the full House, where passage should be smooth. The bill will then pass to a Senate committee and full Senate vote, where passage is less certain but promising. If passed, Governor Lingle is not likely to sign the bill, she may decide to neither sign nor veto, in which case the bill would become law without her signature.

House committee advances bill to legalize civil unions for same-sex couples (Honolulu Advertiser)

h/t Good As You

Marriage, Civil Union and Domestic Partnership Bills Being Heard in 3 States Today

While we at MERI wait for the date our bill will be hear, three states are hearing various forms of bills to protect same-sex families. We will update everyone on the outcomes as we hear details. Some hearings are already in progress.

New Hampshire: Defending against DOMA and seeing Marriage Equality
The House Judiciary Committee will hold hearings today on 4 bills that deal with marriage equality and LGBT equality.
HB147: prohibiting the recognition as civil unions of marriages between persons of the same sex contracted outside of New Hampshire.
HB453: establishing marriage as between one man and one woman as the only legal domestic union recognized by state.
HB436: Granting marriage equality to gays and lesbians.
HB415: This bill defines gender identity and expression and adds it to the list of classes of people protected from discrimination.

Hawaii: Seeking Civil Unions
House Bill 444: A Bill For An Act Relating to Civil Unions
more details at Pam’s House Blend

Washington: Domestic Partnership Bill
HB 1727 – 2009-10: Expanding the rights and responsibilities of state registered domestic partners.
You can watch the WA hearings live here. House committee hearing 10am. Senate committee hearing 3 or 3:30 pm. All times Pacific.