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:

1. Senate Bill 27 will PERMANENTLY OUTLAW CIVIL UNIONS.
2. Gay Marriage is already not legal in Delaware – this bill is REALLY about Civil Unions
3. 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).
4. This bill is bad for the economy – it will chase away entrepenuers
5. According to Gallup, 55% of Americans support Civil Unions, and Delaware is more socially progressive than the average state.
6. It would be very unfair and undemocratic if the legislature amended the constitution to ban something that a majority of Delawareans support.
7. 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!