m******1
发帖数: 19713 | 1 By Julie Bolcer
NEW JERSEY MARRIAGE EQUALITY PROTEST X390 (GETTY) | ADVOCATE.COM
A bill that would legalize same-sex marriage passed the New Jersey senate
judiciary committee as expected Tuesday afternoon. The 8 to 4 vote cleared
the way for the bill to come to the senate floor next month, although
Governor Chris Christie renewed his vow to veto the legislation and urged
lawmakers to “let the people of New Jersey decide” the issue in a
referendum.
Democratic lawmakers introduced the bill two weeks ago with the expectation
that it would pass both houses, in contrast with 2010, when the measure died
after a 20-14 vote in the senate. Senate President Stephen Sweeney, who
abstained from voting two years ago, has since changed his position and
become a sponsor of the legislation. He told The Advocate he planned to
discuss the legislation with Christie, who could choose to veto the bill or
let it become law without his signature, after it passed the senate and
general assembly.
However, Christie appeared to foreclose prospects for dialogue when, at the
same time as the committee hearing, he announced during a town hall that he
planned to veto the bill. The governor said he wanted lawmakers to put the
issue before voters in a referendum. A Quinnipiac poll last week showed that
a majority (52%) of New Jersey voters support marriage equality for the
first time.
"I think this is not an issue that should rest solely in my hands, or the
hands of the Senate President or the Speaker or the other 118 members of the
Legislature," said the governor, according to the Star-Ledger. "Let's let
the people of New Jersey decide what is right for the state."
The remarks represented a departure from Christie’s more open tone of
recent weeks. As recently as Monday, a Christie spokesman told The Advocate
that the governor planned to allow the legislative process to unfold, and
then review it in accordance with a 45-day review period, "just as he would
any other piece of legislation.”
Senate President Sweeney responded with a resounding no when a speaker
informed the hearing participants of the governor's announcement. His reply
appeared to escalate the mounting confrontation between Democratic lawmakers
and the Republican governor.
"Civil rights is not to be placed on the ballot," said Sweeney after a
speaker interrupted to share the governor's announcement. "It’s to be voted
on by the people in this house."
Senator Ray Lezniak, a bill sponsor, directly addressed Christie in comments
before voting to advance the bill.
"It's not like sports betting," he said. "It's a civil right that’s
guaranteed in the constitution."
Senator Sweeney confirmed that enough votes exist to pass the bill when it
comes to the floor as anticipated on February 13. However, legislative
leaders are still working to muster the two-thirds majorities required to
override the veto, a task that the senate president called an "enormous lift
" in his chamber. Only one Republican senator publicly supports the bill,
and the veto threat from Christie holds the potential to make other members
of his party wary about crossing him.
The committee approved the bill after three hours of testimony in which
dozens of supporters and opponents of the bill delivered three-minute
remarks. Marriage equality advocates focused on the inadequacies of the
current civil unions law, particularly in vulnerable situations such as
hospital visitation or the death of a child. Opponents claimed that even
with broad religious exemptions protecting their right not to solemnize same
-sex weddings or provide facilities for their celebration, the bill would
still threaten their religious freedom.
Daniel Weiss, lead plaintiff in a marriage equality lawsuit filed in New
Jersey Superior Court in June, spoke of being summoned to the hospital in
New York City after his spouse John Grant was hit by a car and sustained
life-threatening injuries. Weiss said the brain surgeon asked, “What is a
civil union?”
“The fiscally conservative, registered Republican in me is appalled” by
the paperwork surrounding the separate status of civil unions, he testified.
Moshe Bressler, an Orthodox Jew opposed to marriage equality, testified in a
panel with the executive director of the New Jersey Catholic Conference. “
The road to hell is paved with religious exemptions," he said. Bressler
attempted to link marriage equality to a study that found half of gay
couples in San Francisco engage in “open relationships" in 2010. “Please
kill this demon before it demonizes millions of New Jerseyans," he said.
Senator Weinberg, also Jewish, took issue with the “pejorative insinuations
” about same-sex relationships from “the good rabbis.”
“Nothing in this bill requires the religious recognition of marriage,” she
said in her opening remarks. “This is one of those moments that cannot be
completely explained. This is one of those moments that can only be
articulated by the inaudible language of the heart." | o****g
发帖数: 657 | 2 两百多年的民主教育，米国人民还是如此之无知。
基本人权不可投票。
expectation
died
【在 m******1 的大作中提到】
: By Julie Bolcer
: NEW JERSEY MARRIAGE EQUALITY PROTEST X390 (GETTY) | ADVOCATE.COM
: A bill that would legalize same-sex marriage passed the New Jersey senate
: judiciary committee as expected Tuesday afternoon. The 8 to 4 vote cleared
: the way for the bill to come to the senate floor next month, although
: Governor Chris Christie renewed his vow to veto the legislation and urged
: lawmakers to “let the people of New Jersey decide” the issue in a
: referendum.
: Democratic lawmakers introduced the bill two weeks ago with the expectation
: that it would pass both houses, in contrast with 2010, when the measure died
| g********d
发帖数: 4174 | 3 Referendum就Referendum，我门赢第一个Referendum之时，就是反同势力崩溃瓦解之日
。最早今年我们会赢MAINE。 |
|
