Connecticut Local Politics

Update: The bill has also passed the House, 100-44.
Lawmakers in the state Senate bowed to pressure from religious groups today and passed an amended version of SB 899 which states that religious groups do not have to provide services for same-sex marriages. CTNJ has the story.
Six Republicans voted against the bill. They were joined by [...]

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You’ve probably seen the ads in your newspaper or online by now, or you’ve received a robocall from the National Organization for Marriage or someone similar. There’s a huge push on right now to defeat–or at least amend–S.B. 899, which codifies last year’s Supreme Court decision allowing gay marriage.
The Courant has a lengthy story about [...]

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ConnecticutMan1 over at MLN reports a call from the National Organization for Marriage today. We got one as well, though it was caught by our answering machine.
NOM’s executive director is Brian Brown, who used to run the Family Institute of Connecticut.

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The pro same-sex marriage group Love Makes a Family has announced that, since they have actually accomplished their aims, they’ll be shutting down before the end of this year. Said Executive Director Anne Stanback:
“We want to conclude our work on a high note: celebrating our successes, completing our advocacy work over the next nine months, [...]

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A disturbing piece of mail was sent recently to a member of the Fairfield County clergy, urging him to devote a sermon to the connection between Same-Sex Marriage, Obama, Islam, and Child Sacrifice (Oh, you didn’t know? Duh.). Enclosed in the package was a DVD copy of the widely ridiculed anti-Muslim propaganda film, [...]

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In a stunning new UCONN/Courant poll, 53% of state residents say they back the Supreme Court’s gay marriage ruling, while 42% say they don’t. The split is highly partisan–Democrats mostly favor the ruling, Republicans mostly oppose it, and independents are split but leaning in favor.
The poll suggests that should somehow the constitution be changed to [...]

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If the bonds of traditional marriage start weakening, can someone make sure to tell CTBob so he can tape and set it to music?

I’ve been to a lot of wedding receptions and the happiness and excitement in the Kerrigan afterparty were the equal of any of them.
I’ll have more on the decision when I get [...]

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“I do not believe their voice reflects the majority of the people of Connecticut. However, I am also firmly convinced that attempts to reverse this decision — either legislatively or by amending the state Constitution — will not meet with success. I will therefore abide by the ruling.”
–Gov. Jodi Rell
“This historic ruling will provide additional [...]

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From the decision:

Even though the right to marry is not enumerated in our constitution, it long has been deemed a basic civil right. …Although we traditionally have viewed that right as limited to a union between a man and a woman, ‘‘if we have learned anything from the significant evolution in the prevailing societal views [...]

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The Connecticut Supreme Court is ruling today on same-sex marriage. Expect the decision to be released later this morning: Watch this site at around 11:30am.

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Two things that went on the web yesterday:
First, Chris Shays’ FEC Filing:

Human Rights Campaign PAC
Mr. Mike Mings 1640 Rhode Island Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20036

08/17/2007
786.373771.77

Second, a press release from the HRC:
The Human Rights Campaign has collaborated with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to craft a solution to the controversy surrounding the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. Today, in [...]

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Our own CGG speaks about the campaign of Jim Himes and some of our legislative coverage this year at a “local bloggers” panel. Thanks to Spazeboy for the video!
20070803-CGGonHimesUploaded by spazeboy

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Blue Hampshire has the details.
Congratulations to the people of New Hampshire.  New England as a region seems to be leading the way towards marriage equality.

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Yesterday, NPR’s Where We Live featured a debate between Rep. Mike Lawlor and FIC Director of Public Policy Peter Wolfgang.
The audio can be found here and the webpage overview is here.
In addition to Lawlor and Wolfgang, the show also has clips from the recent Supreme Court case and an interview with the plaintiffs.
Let us know [...]

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Today:
Proponents of same-sex marriage say that civil unions only perpetrate the “separate but equal” assertion that the U.S. Supreme Court so resoundingly struck down in the landmark school desegregation case, Brown v. Board of Education, in 1954.
[...]
Opponents of expanding marriage to include same-sex couples say civil unions provide all the same state legal rights, responsibilities [...]

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Judiciary Committee Co-Chairmen Rep. Michael Lawlor and Sen. Andrew McDonald have decided against seeking a vote on gay marriage this year.
From the Press Release:
“The number of legislators backing this proposal has more than doubled in just the past two years since this bill was last introduced,” Sen. McDonald said. “Support towards marriage [...]

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A new poll sponsored by the Courant has found that Connecticut is evenly split about whether same-sex couples should be allowed to marry. Those strongly or somewhat favoring same-sex marriage led those who somewhat or strongly oppose it by the narrow margin of 49%-46%–within the poll’s 4% margin of error.
62% strongly or somewhat favor civil [...]

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Sadly this isn’t an April Fool’s joke.
Last week President of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights and professional outraged media pundit, William Donohue sent an email out to every legislator in the CT General Assembly. Donohue, who does not live in Connecticut, took issue with the questioning of the FIC’s Brian Brown [...]

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