This morning, I read this ditty about Senator Creigh Deed from George Loper’s Charlottesville web site and have attached the latest Equality Virginia press release as well.
Any thoughts, or comments, or bacon bits?
Per Loper email: In May of 2004 Creigh blasted GOP legislators for a “mean-spirited and unnecessary” bill banning gay marriage and legal contracts between unmarried partners.” At the time, he was reported as opposing gay marriage and supporting a different version of the Senate bill, to which Warner added amendments limiting its impact on legal contracts. See http://george.loper.org/~george/archives/2004/May/979.html
On February 7 of 2005 Creigh voted for a constitutional amendment [SJ337] stating:
“That only a union between one man and one woman may be a marriage valid in or recognized by this Commonwealth and its political subdivisions. This Commonwealth and its political subdivisions shall not create or recognize a legal status for relationships of unmarried individuals that intends to approximate the design, qualities, significance, or effect of marriage.”
Voting yea were: Bell, Blevins, Bolling, Chichester, Colgan, Cuccinelli, Deeds, Devolites Davis, Hanger, Hawkins, Houck, Martin, Miller, Mims, Newman, Norment, Obenshain, O’Brien, Potts, Puckett, Quayle, Rerras, Reynolds, Ruff, Stolle, Stosch, Wagner, Wampler, Watkins, Williams – 30.
Voting nay were: Edwards, Howell, Lambert, Locke, Lucas, Marsh, Puller, Saslaw, Ticer, Whipple – 10.
Asked about his position on SJ337, he said:
“I believe marriage is uniquely a matter of state law and that marriage is the union between one man and one woman.”
“In committee, I voted for an amendment to take out the second sentence of the amendment,” but was outvoted. He said his objection to the second sentence was that “it takes the peoples’ branch of government out of consideration about whether contracts are similar to marriage and throws it into the courts.”
When it came before the floor, he said he “had to make a decision” and “wanted people to have a choice.”
Assuming that the bill is passed, it will have to go before a second session of the Virginia General Assembly in 2006, before going to the ballot as a voter referendum.
Please send your thoughts about Creigh’s vote to george@loper.org where the most representative comments will be placed on my web site with full attribution.
Given the fact that the amendment will probably come again before the Virginia General Assembly and also the fact that Creigh is running for AG, you might want to drop him a line yourself. His email address is district25@sov.state.va.us His phone number at the VA Gen Assembly is 804-698-7525.
Per Equality Virginia Press Release: EV NewsFebruary 9, 2005
Virginia’s New #1 Ranking: Most Anti-Gay State in Nation?
(Richmond, Virginia) Virginia moved farther along the path to becoming the most anti-gay state in the nation as the 2005 General Assembly arrived at the mid-point of the legislative session.
Proposals to constitutionalize a ban on same sex marriage, civil unions and domestic partnerships have powered through both houses of the legislature on lop-sided votes. Other legislation that would have made Virginia only the second state to prohibit “homosexuals” from adopting children and directed local school officials to ban student organizations that provide support to gay and lesbian teens have been modified in the legislative process but are still under consideration.
“Virginia has real problems to fix, like growing traffic congestion, the health care crisis, job losses in Southwest and Southside Virginia and underperforming schools. It’s shameful that our legislators have spent their time this session fiddling with the constitution, and otherwise being quite creative in attempting to deny tax-paying gay and lesbian Virginians equal protection under the law. This is the worst case of ‘piling on’ seen in decades,” said Dyana Mason, Equality Virginia Executive Director. “It’s obvious that our opponents feel threatened by the progress made towards equality in recent years, here and around the country.”
Virginia has had a law banning same sex marriage since 1986, which has been strengthened twice since, most recently with the passage of HB 751 passed just last year. There has never been a case in which Virginia’s definition of marriage has been challenged. Despite this fact, legislative sponsors argue that there is an urgent need to act to change the constitution to protect Virginia’s definition of marriage from some unspecified threat posed by judges in Massachusetts and California.
“This argument shows how little moral force there is behind the arguments of marriage amendment proponents. The reality is that any threat to Virginia’s definition of marriage is posed, not by unknown rogue judges or gay and lesbian Virginians seeking to forge recognized, committed relationships, but by other factors, such as poverty, lack of commitment to stated religious and moral vows, and the divorce rate,” said Equality Virginia Board Chair, Joseph R. Price.
Prior to the start of the session, Equality Virginia hired a professional lobbyist, started organizing grassroots Community Action Teams in districts across the state, and organized the largest ever gay and lesbian Lobby Day attended by over 250 volunteer activists. The growing strength of Equality Virginia and its supporters has already had an impact this session and is reflected in the changes made to moderate the proposed adoption and Gay Straight Alliance bills.
Equality Virginia and allied groups are also currently organizing a set of community meetings statewide to update our members and supporters on the actions taken by the General Assembly, and encourage them to get involved.
“We will continue to bring to bear on the legislative process the collective power of Equality Virginia and our allies, Virginians of reason and faith, who oppose discrimination in all of its forms,” said David Lampo, Chair of the Political Committee of Equality Virginia.
-30-
