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[PA] Stage set for vote on gay marriage ban
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| Contributor | The Sunset Provision |
| Last Edited | The Sunset Provision May 06, 2008 01:35pm |
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| Category | News |
| Media | Newspaper - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |
| News Date | Tuesday, May 6, 2008 07:00:00 PM UTC0:0 |
| Description | Minutes after a Senate committee approved a bill to amend the state constitution to ban same-sex marriage yesterday, Democratic legislators from Pittsburgh and Philadelphia vociferously attacked the proposal, calling it "disgraceful, morally wrong and unnecessary."
Senate Bill 1250, which is meant to bolster the state's 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which already prohibits same-sex marriage, "is disheartening and discriminatory," said Sen. Jim Ferlo, D-Highland Park.
"It's marriage mischief -- an attempt to enshrine bigotry in the state constitution," he told an angry crowd of 200 protesters gathered in the Capitol rotunda.
"Politicians always want to get into your wallet, but now many politicians, some Democrats as well as Republicans, want to get into your bedroom."
Other opponents of the constitutional amendment included Rep. Dan Frankel, D-Squirrel Hill, and Democratic Sens. Vincent Fumo of Philadelphia and Connie Williams of Delaware County.
"When the basic rights of any group are threatened, then no one's rights are safe," said Mr. Fumo, amid echoing chants of "Stop this bill! Stop this bill!"
"Freedom is at risk in the bill," said Mr. Fumo, whose South Philadelphia district includes considerable numbers of gay and lesbian voters. "It's possible this legislative body could embed discrimination in our constitution by taking away the rights of a group of people based on their sexuality."
The rally began just after the Senate Appropriations Committee voted 18-8 to send the ban to the full Senate, which could vote as soon as today or tomorrow. The appropriations panel had to vote on it because putting the required public notices about the proposed amendment in newspapers could cost the state as much as $1 million in 2008-09.
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