"Everything But Marriage" Bill Passes Washington Senate
Under a measure passed yesterday by the Senate, same-sex domestic partners in Washington would finally have the same rights offered to married couples--rights which many people have been denied since the stale, dated Defense of Marriage Act of 1998, which restricted marriage to unions between a penis and a vagina.
"You have denied us that right," said bill sponsor Sen. Ed Murray, D-Seattle, one of six openly gay lawmakers in the Legislature. "Do not deny us the right to care for our families and build our lives."The bill passed on a mostly party-line 30-18 vote and now heads to the House. The Senate rejected two Republican amendments, including one that would have sent the measure to voters.
Three Republicans voted for the bill: Sens. Dale Brandland of Bellingham, Curtis King of Yakima and Cheryl Pflug of Maple Valley. Four Democrats voted against it: Sens. Brian Hatfield of Raymond, Jim Hargrove of Hoquiam, Tim Sheldon of Potlatch and Paull Shin of Edmonds.
From that excerpt we can conclude that most Republicans still use their votes to express their bigotry, and that there are four Democrats in the Senate that ought to be replaced in the next election cycle.
Tip of the hat to the three Republicans who actually voted for this bill. Hopefully someday soon we'll all look back at this and laugh. Oh what a silly time that was, when we actually thought it was OK for two heteros to make a spectacle of marriage on network television, and illegal for two responsible, adult, tax-paying homos to be married. Hilarious.
