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Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Homo / Olympia The Withering Rural Resistance

Posted by Dominic Holden on Wed, Feb 4, 2009 at 1:00 PM

Representative Jim McCune (R-2), who represents the span between Yelm and Mount Rainier, is digging in his heels against the procession of gay-rights legislation. Along with co-sponsorship from five other Republicans, McCune introduced a bill today that expands Washington’s Defense of Marriage Act, which already bans same-sex marriage, to repeal domestic partnerships. HB 1980 reads: “The uniting of two persons into some form of nonmarital domestic relationship, including any civil union, domestic partnership, reciprocal beneficiary, or other similar relationship, is not legally recognizable or valid in this state.”

The bill doesn't have a snowballing's chance in hell. The legislature created a domestic partnership registry in 2007, and fortified it with additional benefits to same-sex partners last year; the legislature isn’t about to repeal those laws they just passed.

"We have to celebrate that we can look at these terrible bills, which would have made us drop everything a few years ago to work to defeat, and now we can just look them and say "Ah, it's ridiculous they still think they can stop the march of progress and will of the poeple,'" says Equal Rights Washington spokesman Josh Friedes. He points to a University of Washington poll that shows 67 percent of the state's voters support parity in partner benefits for same-sex couples. Meanwhile, a majority of legislators in the house—57 representatives—have co-sponsored this year's sweeping domestic partnership legislation that provides all the rights of marriage. "Every year, a number of anti-gay bills are introduced," Friedes says. "We don't even see those bills getting out of committee anymore."

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Apparently, those 5 Republicans have nothing better to spend their time on than this. There's, you know, nothing else that might be more important (*cough*... economy... *cough*... state budget).

Posted by Julie in Eugene on February 4, 2009 at 1:06 PM

sure.
Ignore those annoying bills.
Take comfort in the polls.
I think we borrowed this strategy from the anti Prop 8 morons.

Posted by chad on February 4, 2009 at 1:08 PM

What's really ridiculous is to think that the people behind these monstrous bills are just going to go away. They will keep trying, and trying and trying.

Posted by Roscoe on February 4, 2009 at 1:17 PM

Wouldn't this bill eliminate Washington State's common law marriage statute? Which would be ironic, given that is likely the legal status of a whole lot of straight couples located between Yelm and Mt Rainer.

Posted by Westside forever on February 4, 2009 at 1:33 PM

@3, you're right, because they need to get elected, and elected, and elected, by the electorate in poorer districts where education spending is for shit.

I remember some discussion years ago that it might be a wise use of gay activist energy to lobby the state to fund public education at decent levels statewide, based on the notion that improving civics knowledge and thinking skills among the rural poor might eventually a) provide an unshakable underpinning for statewide gay-rights legislation and b) broaden the public scope of the gay-rights movement, which some worried had already begun painting itself into an elitist corner. Interesting notions.

Posted by tomasyalba on February 4, 2009 at 1:35 PM

He should go climb a mountain ... I hear Mt. Rainier's fun this time of year ...

By himself.

Posted by Will in Seattle on February 4, 2009 at 1:41 PM

Chad - good point - in that if it were not for Democratic control of both houses this crap would get hearings and lots more play .... please note all the people who have not understood our link to the Dems.

Posted by Max on February 4, 2009 at 1:53 PM

I get that this is a fringe effort right now, but can we please not get complacent? I don't think we have the luxury of forgetting that if we stop fighting, for a second, they might take back every inch of progress forward we have made.

Posted by still not convinced on February 4, 2009 at 1:58 PM

Yes, those ferocious heels of Jim McCune are feared. All Over. Olympia.

Posted by Dominic the Intrepid!!!!!!!111!! on February 4, 2009 at 1:59 PM

@4 Westside forever... Just FYI, Washington state does not have a common law marriage statute or recognize common law marriages. Are you thinking of the fairly recent domestic partnership registry?

Posted by lily on February 4, 2009 at 2:13 PM

Can someone introduce an amendment to Rep. McCune's bill outlawing divorce in WA? That ought to poison the well sufficiently to guarantee even members of the GOP wouldn't vote in favor of it.

Posted by COMTE on February 4, 2009 at 3:03 PM

@11 for the win.

But let's take baby steps, and only outlaw divorce for people who voted (R).

Posted by Will in Seattle on February 4, 2009 at 4:03 PM