SB 27 Update: How You Can Save Civil Unions
Our progressive champion in the Senate, Karen Peterson, has given me some updated info about SB 27, the anti-Civil Unions bill, and what we can do to stop it. For starters, this is a constitutional amendment. Governor Markell cannot veto it. To become constitutional law, it must be passed by a 2/3rds majority of the Senate and House in two consecutive sessions (the Governor has no say). Constitutional Amendments in Delaware are not subject to a popular vote (how undemocratic). Right now, all we need to legally recognize Civil Unions would be a regular bill; if SB 27 is passed in 2009 and 2011, it would take a constitutional amendment to reverse it. The strategy behind the bill is to convince people they are voting against gay marriage, which is not legal in Delaware anyway. However, the language of the bill clearly states that it would disallow “all legal unions” between same-sex couples. I guarantee you that if we don’t take action right away, some rather progressive legislators will vote for SB 27, not realizing that they are voting against Civil Unions, which they would normally support. If we don’t act on this, we will get a nasty surprise when we see the roll call on this bill.
Secondly, we CAN make a difference. Senator Bruce Ennis, of Middletown, co-sponsored this bill. Why? Is he some kind of bigot like Venables and Adams? No – he just got a bunch of angry phone calls from constituents who were most certainly part of a targeted campaign from national pressure groups. And it wasn’t even that many – a few dozen or so. So add him back to your calling list, got it? Out of the five Senators who sponsored this bill, he’s the most likely to have a change of heart if we keep our friends and family dialing.
Keep up the calls to Senator George Bunting, but add Senator Mike Katz to your list. “Oh, no,” you say, “he’ll vote against, I don’t have to worry about him.” Do you want to get a nasty surprise today? No? Then call Senator Katz too. Remember what I said about progressive Senators who don’t realize what they’re really voting on? DO NOT COUNT THIS AS A SAFE VOTE – Make it a safe vote with the power of your phone calls.
I am serious – call Senators Bunting, Ennis, and Katz as if they are ALL swing votes. That suggestion comes straight from Senator Peterson. Sorenson is likely to oppose the bill, but some friendly calls won’t hurt. When I called today, I spoke warmly with her staffer and noted that I was happy that Senator Sorenson was part of the Republican Senate Leadership. Republicans need more Sorensons and Democrats need fewer Venables. Senator Venables is an absolute bigoted trogolodite and a total lost cause. Call him to express your outrage if you feel like it, but remember your ABC’s – Always Be Civil.
The commitee vote is scheduled for this afternoon. The fact that this got assigned to the Small Business Committee is no accident – you can smell a strong whiff of Thurman Adams on it. If this bill passes committee 4-1, we will all be humiliated. If the bill passes committee 3-2, Thurman Adams will have sent us all a clear message – “Any bill authorizing Civil Unions will be killed in committee.” If the bill is defeated 3-2, we’ll have sent Adams a message of our own – “We can beat you.” If the bill is beaten down 4-1, then our allies in the Senate will have the confidence they need to introduce a bill granting legal recognition to Civil Unions – and Thurman Adams will have no committee left to kill it with.
Call the Senate switchboard – (302) 744-4286 – and ask them to transfer you to the office of Senator Bunting, Katz, or Ennis. Then tell your friends and families to do the same. This is a call to all bloggers – get the message out. The committee hearing will take place this afternoon, and if it passes, it is scheduled to hit the Senate floor on Thursday. Thurman Adams wants this baby to pass real bad.
Make sure to say the following when you call:
- Senate Bill 27 will PERMANENTLY OUTLAW CIVIL UNIONS.
- Gay Marriage is already not legal in Delaware – this bill is REALLY about Civil Unions
- Major state employers like DuPont, AstraZeneca, and the big banks offer Domestic Partnership benefits. This bill sends the wrong message in the current economy and will give their employees an incentive to live (and shop) in New Jersey or Maryland (which recognize Domestic Partnerships).
- This bill is bad for the economy – it will chase away entrepenuers
- According to Gallup, 55% of Americans support Civil Unions, and Delaware is more socially progressive than the average state.
- It would be very unfair and undemocratic if the legislature amended the constitution to ban something that a majority of Delawareans support.
- If this amendment passes, Delaware will become the ONLY state in the Northeast to ban Civil Unions.
Remember, they will ask for your name and address, so act civilly and don’t curse.
Now is also the time to call the other Senators too – remember, the bill is scheduled to reach the floor Thursday if it passes committee. I know we can count on Peterson, Sokola, and Blevins, and I’m told Sorenson should be solid. I know we’ll be opposed by Venables, Adams, Bonini, and Simpson. The remaining Senators? Call them all. Absolutely make sure to call Senators Bethany Hall-Long (I’m serious), Robert Marshall, Harris McDowell, and Brian Bushweller. Senators Dorinda Connor and Catherine Cloutier are Republicans endorsed by the Delaware Liberty Fund – be nice and encourage them to vote with Sorenson (If 3/5ths of Republican Senators oppose this bill, I hereby promise to buy Tyler a drink at Timothy’s and to publically state that moderate Republicans can make a difference in the world). We need 8 votes to beat this bill in the full Senate, but we’ll need at least 11 if we want to have any chance of passing Civil Unions this session. CALL THEM NOW – SPREAD THE WORD!
Tags: call to action, Civil Unions, SB 27
Sad to say I got too busy yesterday to make any calls.
I’ll call today and log them in tuis thread.
Thanks for the update, X!
All I can say is AMEN! Thank you all for your efforts to defeat this bad legislation.
Just an FYI. There is nobody manning the switchboards until 9 or so. Most of the senators don’t make it down to Dover until 12:30 at the earliest. Ennis is often an exception as he’s an earlybird.
So, as XStryker said, please be civil, provide your name and address if you’re a constituent of a particular senator. And please specifically request that the receptionist or legislative assistant share the message with the Senator.
If you’re a constituent of Liane Sorenson’s, call her and thank her for opposing the bill. Too often, legislators never hear from appreciative constituents.
Definitely call.. word is the churches are beating you 4 to 1.
When I called yesterday I spoke with Senator Bunting’s aide, Dottie, who said that we would not be able to kill this in committee and that it would be coming out for a floor vote because they were tired of being criticized for the deskdrawer veto.
As Senator Peterson points out, this would not be a deskdrawer veto — it would get a vote in committee and not just be stuck in the committee chair’s deskdrawer. So that isn’t a valid argument.
However, if they are going to bring it to a floor vote, they probably know who is voting which way and think they’ve got a good chance of passing this.
This bill does not reflect Delaware. It is a reflection of fear, bigotry, ignorance, and the Sussex County delegation wagging the dog. Please find time to make those calls today. Especially if you live in either Bruce Ennis’ district or Bethany Hall-Long’s district. They especially need to hear from us! I am told that neither of them subscribe to this personally, but are committed to voting for their constituents whom they think are fearful, bigoted, and ignorant.
Great post Xstryker!
El Som — I’ll call Lianne today. Thanks for the reminder.
Onward!
FYI, Bethany hall long is on Facebook too, so don’t be afraid to send her a message that way too
Rebecca, sounds like Bunting is ‘pulling a Carper’.
His constituents should call him and call him on it. As you said, this is not a desk drawer veto, it is a committee actually functioning as one. His constituents should not let him get away with it. Same for Katz.
The Governor has an easy economic case for vetoing if it makes it that far.
I guess we’ll always have to fight these stupid, distracting battles as long as there are a-holes like Venables around.
Rebecca,
Do you really think Bruce Ennis and Bethany Hall-Long think their constituents are fearful, bigoted and ignorant? Did you actually hear either of them say that? I think an apology is required!
I just called and spoke to Ennis’ assistant.
Outsidey,
1) If they are getting calls on a 4 to 1 basis from the fearful, bigoted and ignorant.
2) Kiss my ass.
3) You owe me an apology for cluttering up this blog with such an dumbass comment.
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If Ennis and Hall-Long justify voting in favor of this bill by citing their constituents wishes then yes, they think their constituents are fearful, ignorant, and bigoted. Or perhaps I should be more politically correct and say their constituents are Conservative. Same thing. And no, I won’t apologize. This is just wrong.
Just another example on why elections matter. Can you imagine Clatworthy sitting on this committee instead of Katz?
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Give me a break! You nuts really think Bunting will oppose this? The majority of his district is the 38th and 41st REP. districts.
Places like Selbyville, Dagsboro, Millsboro, Roxanna, Ocean view, Millville, and his home town of Frankford are all his constituents.
He lives in Bethany for Gods sake. The town has an ordinance banning liquor stores in town limits, and you think he will support gay marraige?
Bunting will vote it out of committee and he will support it if it makes it to the Senate floor!
You guys need to quit fooling yourself…..
This bill does not affect Gay Marriage. That is already illegal in Delaware. This bill is a sham designed to prevent Civil Unions. It is also a smoke-screen to get people riled up about the civil rights bill, HB05. It’s all smoke and mirrors aimed at people who don’t understand and won’t take the trouble to learn.
Obama said it last night when he was asked what sacrifices the American people should be making. We need to learn the truth and act on it. We should spend the time to be informed about what is going on in our government.
Onward!
Bunting has been called, and called out.
Today, I called every Senator in Delaware to voice my objection to SB27. Had to leave messages for most…got transferred, a lot, and some calls were dropped. Eventually, the receptionist would not forward my calls unless the Senators were in and on the committee, or I was in their district. Sen. Bethany Hall-Long…couldn’t even get her assistant, Erin, to answer. So, left my name, number and opinion with the receptionist for all Senators and assistants I was unable to speak with…sounds like they are getting plenty of feedback. Let’s hope it’s against SB27.
Note that Sen. Bunting co-sponsored HB75, which grants hospital/nursing home visitation rights to (among others) domestic partners.
One may consider SB27 to conflict with his sponsored bill.
SB27 would have no effect on HB75. There is no conflict. HB75 is designed to confer rights upon individuals not unions. Stop trying to scare people. SB27 is what it says. It is about marriage.