Saturday, May 21, 2005
Dark Day for Gay Rights in Texas
The Senate passed the constitutional amendment banning gay marriage earlier this afternoon. The final vote was 21-8, with two absent (Houston's Mario Gallegos was the lone missing Dem, though his presence wouldn't have changed the outcome.)
The amendment, HJR 6, will go before Texas voters on November 8, and will likely pass (voters have rarely, if ever, voted down proposed constitutional amendments, which is why the state constitution has more than 300 of them.)
The inclusion of civil unions or "any legal status identical or similar to marriage" was a particularly mean-spirited slap at the gay and lesbian community. Once this goes in the constitution, it may never come out. Today's vote may have finished the notion of civil unions in Texas for a very long time.
For this, we can thank Sen. Todd Staples (R-Palestine). HJR 6 languished in Senate committee for 20 days without a sponsor until Staples took up the anti-homosexual, er, we mean defense of marriage banner. The word around the Capitol is that Staples is looking to burnish his credentials with the right wing for a possible run for Agriculture Commissioner. In The Pink says Sen. Steve Ogden has taken to calling Staples "Senator Statewide."
As Off the Kuff points out, the constitution is supposed to limit government, not the rights of citizens. Whenever we've limited the rights of citizens in a constitution, we've usually later come to regret it. How long before those 21 senators regret the votes they took today?
The amendment, HJR 6, will go before Texas voters on November 8, and will likely pass (voters have rarely, if ever, voted down proposed constitutional amendments, which is why the state constitution has more than 300 of them.)
The inclusion of civil unions or "any legal status identical or similar to marriage" was a particularly mean-spirited slap at the gay and lesbian community. Once this goes in the constitution, it may never come out. Today's vote may have finished the notion of civil unions in Texas for a very long time.
For this, we can thank Sen. Todd Staples (R-Palestine). HJR 6 languished in Senate committee for 20 days without a sponsor until Staples took up the anti-homosexual, er, we mean defense of marriage banner. The word around the Capitol is that Staples is looking to burnish his credentials with the right wing for a possible run for Agriculture Commissioner. In The Pink says Sen. Steve Ogden has taken to calling Staples "Senator Statewide."
As Off the Kuff points out, the constitution is supposed to limit government, not the rights of citizens. Whenever we've limited the rights of citizens in a constitution, we've usually later come to regret it. How long before those 21 senators regret the votes they took today?