A Great Day for Equality in Delaware
Fresh from the news that the Marriage Discrimination Bill went down to defeat in the Senate, we now learn that the House has passed HB5, the anti-discrimination bill sponsored by House Majority Leader Peter Schwartzkopf (D-Rehoboth) that would finally prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation. The vote was 26-14.
According to the House Press Release, this bill is nearly identical to those that have passed the House before with broad bipartisan support, only to find a comfortable resting place in the desk drawer of Senator Thurman Adams (D-1950’s). And now the bill goes to the Senate again, and Senator Adams, in his final days of relevance, has a choice. His legacy can be one of hatred, bigotry and backward thinking, or he can finally, at long last, enter the 21st century and wipe away one of the last vestiges of state-sanctioned discrimination.
“This is equal rights legislation, not special rights legislation,” Rep. Schwartzkopf said. “This legislation is based on the very foundation on which our country stands – that we treat all of our citizens with dignity and respect, and that includes respecting the human rights of all people. Discrimination in any form is wrong. Right now, people can be denied housing or a job if someone disagrees with a person’s sexual orientation or what they think is their sexual orientation.
Here is hoping that Senator Adams has better angels on his shoulder this time.
Excellent news! Can we hide Thurman Adams’s desk drawer so that he can’t find it?
You know I will not let this go and I can’t imagine many others who would…
once again, Schwartzkopf’s hand-picked Atkins goes AGAINST him on one of his platform issues.
Why Pete, why did you find it good to cancel your very own vote on these issues?
‘Bulo thinks the answer to Smitty’s question is clear. There is no way that Schwartzkopf can be Majority Leader or, eventually, Speaker, unless the D’s control the House. It was not a foregone conclusion that the D’s would take the House last year. Flipping the 41st went a long way to ensuring the eventual result. It was not until after the fact that it was clear that Atkins’ winning the 41st was not necessary.
And, regardless of whether it cancelled out Pete’s vote on his signature issue, (a) the bill was gonna pass the House with or without Atkins’ vote and (b) in any event, what were the chances of getting an R from the 41st District to vote ‘yes’ on HB 5? The Beast Who Slumbers, who spent some time down there during the special election, says none.
I agree, ‘Bulo, but it’s a hell of a chance to sell out your very own vote on your very own platform to get leadership. What happens now, that Atkins is of no use to that agenda?
Smitty, this bill has passed the House something like 3 previous times, never with the support of any Rep from the 41st District. Today, even with Atkins voting ‘no’, it received the most votes ever (26) for passage.
‘Bulo cannot imagine anybody who could actually get elected from the 41st District ever supporting this bill. That area is like something out of ‘Deliverance’. Arguably the most culturally-conservative district in Delaware. And you could arguably drop the ‘arguably’.
I agree with both of you. Yes, it is idiotic as a potential Majority Leader to get someone elected opposed to one of your chief policy concerns. At the same time, it is of little harm now, as Atkin’s vote of hate was drowned out by a nearly a two thirds majority.
Not that I want Atkins in my caucus as Democrat, but, he is essentially neutered now.
How did Atkins campaign? for or against HB5?
You are wrong about the revisionist history which says the predecessors to HB 5 died in a desk drawer. When it went to Senator Venables committee he held open and fair hearings on the bill. He gave everyone their say. The bill failed on an open vote. That is the way it should have been done. The radicals so harassed the Senator that the next time President Adams just gave it to Senator Vaughn who desk drawered it and laughed at anyone who complained. As had been done in the past. It was the radical left and the fact that they would threaten a Senator who did his job who deserve all of the blame for the bill not getting a hearing.
The bill did not have a secure majority support in the senate before. The proponents could have signed it out of committee if they did. This year you replace Copeland with Katz, Still with Bushweller, and seems like the the proponents have the upper hand.
i remember when thinking black people shouldn’t be property was “radical left” and an “abomination to God”
david, go visit your rest stop glory hole and shut the fuck up.
How did Atkins campaign? for or against HB5?
He voted against. See comments 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 for commentary.
I guess you socialists are pretty happy about this. I don’t know how you can possibly consider destroying traditional marriage and the taking away of freedoms with this anti-discrimination act a good thing. I am almost glad that B. Hussein Obama’s stimulus bill atrocity is going to completely destroy this country. Hopefully some reasonable people will rise up in the aftermath and give what’s left of our great nation a sort of good ol’days reboot.