Rights Have Rarely Been Handed Out-- They're Fought For

Late yesterday afternoon it was reported that California's Supreme Court will be announcing its ruling on the challenge to Prop. 8 on Tuesday. I'm sure lots of people will be sitting on needles and pins between now and then-- not just here in California but everywhere with big concentrations of the bigoted Mormons who financed the hate-filled proposition that wrecked marriage equality-- not in Utah where 72% of the population is in the LDS cult or Idaho (27%) or Nevada (7%). Only 2% of Californians are Mormons.

The court announced the impending decision today in lawsuits by same-sex couples and local governments, led by San Francisco, seeking to overturn the measure that 52 percent of California voters approved in November. If the court upholds the measure, it must also decide how the proposition affects the marriages of about 18,000 same-sex couples who wed before the Nov. 4 election.

...Plaintiffs in the California lawsuits argue that Prop. 8 made such fundamental changes to the rights guaranteed by the state Constitution that it amounted to a constitutional revision, not merely an amendment. A revision requires approval by two-thirds of the Legislature or by delegates to a new state constitutional convention to reach the ballot.

Attorney General Jerry Brown, who ordinarily defends state laws in the courts, joined the opponents of Prop. 8 and argued that the voters lack the power to eliminate "inalienable rights."

It seems likely that the Court will not overturn the amendment-- and leave that for voters to do in the future-- but will leave the 18,000 couples who married while it was legal to remain married. We'll see.

On Thursday, however, a new bill was introduced in the U.S. Senate by Joe Lieberman (I-CT) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME) that promotes equality for all federal employees. Twenty-two senators, all Democrats, immediately signed on as co-sponsors-- Dan Akaka (HI), Barbara Boxer (CA), Sherrod Brown (OH), Maria Cantwell (WA), Ben Cardin (MD), Bob Casey (PA), Chris Dodd (CT), Dick Durbin (IL), Russ Feingold (WI), Kirsten Gillibrand (NY), Ted Kennedy (MA), John Kerry (MA), Frank Lautenberg (NJ), Patrick Leahy (VT), Carl Levin (MI), Jeff Merkley (OR), Barbara Mikulski (MD), Patty Murray (WA), Bernie Sanders (VT), Chuck Schumer (NY), Sheldon Whitehouse (RI), and Ron Wyden (OR).

The Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act would entitle all federal employees, no matter their sexual orientation, to the same employment and health care benefits as married couples. The areas covered by the law:

·         Employee Health Benefits
·         Family, medical and emergency leave
·         Retirement and disability
·         Group life insurance
·         Long-term care insurance
·         Death and disability benefits
·         Compensation for work injuries
·         Relocation, travel and related expenses

In explaining his participation to his constituents, Senator Merkley pointed out that Oregon and 15 other states already have identical laws on the books and that most of the Fortune 500 companies are already offering domestic partner benefits to their employees. “It is plain wrong that some federal employees are not currently entitled to equal health and employment benefits,” said Merkley. “This legislation will ensure that all federal employees, regardless of their sexual orientation, have access to employee health benefits, family and medical leave, compensation for work injuries, and the retirement and disability plans that are vital to the financial security of families... This bill is a step in the right direction to make sure that all Americans are compensated equally under the law. It is time for the federal government to stand up for fairness and ensure that all federal employees and their loved ones are treated the same.”
If your senator isn't on the list of co-sponsors, you might want to make a call. This is exactly the kind of bill the watch the response to. Members who should be on the list but who aren't:
Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)
Roland Burris (D-IL)
Bob Menendez (D-NJ)
Jack Reed (D-RI)
Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)
Tom Udall (D-NM)
Susan Collins (R-ME)
Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
John Tester (D-MT)
Mark Warner (D-VA)
Jim Webb (D-VA)
Kay Hagan (D-NC)
Bill Nelson (D-FL)
Harry Reid (D-NV)
Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
Arlen Specter (D-PA)
Mark Udall (D-CO)
Mark Begich (D-AK)
Herb Kohl (WI)
Ted Kaufman (DE)
Mary Landrieu (LA)
Debbie Stabenow (MI)

Most the the GOP is expected to follow the lead of their closet queen leader, Mitch McConnell, and oppose the bill. It'll be interesting to see if Lindsey Graham's voice squeaks when he says "Nay."