April 11, 2005
Hate Affairs Committee votes on HJR 6
By Karl-Thomas Musselman
Thanks to the people/person over at PinkDome, we have some info on HJR 6, the Constitutional Ban on All Things Un-Holy (Gay Unions), which was voted out of the Hate Affairs Committee today 6-1 (with 2 Democrats wandering around not knowing where or when to vote I guess).
As this PinkDome entry notes, Rep. Martha Wong (R-Houston Gay District) voted for it as well as Rep. Keffer (R- Gay Son that Testified in Committee).
As to why and where the others were, this PinkDome entry may shed some light. But it is nice to see that Rep. Villareal (D- Missed the Committee Vote) is going to gather Demo opposition to this on the House Floor. We'd need 51 votes to kill it in the House, and even though we have what, 63 Democrats, most capitol sources will tell you that there aren't enough votes to kill it in the House, leaving the Senate (where people have been Re-Redistricted into electoral security on both sides) to be the main battleground.
Posted by Karl-Thomas Musselman at April 11, 2005 05:43 PM
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LGRL’s Statement in Response to Martha Wong’s statement.
“The rights of minorities should never be subject to a vote by the majority. I had hoped that as an Asian –American, Representative Wong, would understand this tenet of civil rights. I am very disappointed that Representative Wong did not vote with her district and has decided to allow the lives, safety and dignity of thousand of Texans families to be subject to a state wide vote.
"I appreciate the fact that Representative Wong states she is working to help LGBT families with the issue of hospital visitation, but her own statement shows that there is a need to pass legislation that will help protect LGBT families. Without the protections that marriage offers, blood relatives have rights that supersede those of same-sex partners. A marriage certificate costs 41 dollars. The attorney fees required to obtain just a handful of the responsibilities and rights that marriage such as a power of attorney or living will costs thousands of dollars and are very often successfully challenged by blood relatives."
"Her vote will help perpetuate the discrimination and hate towards LGBT people that Texas has come to represent. LGRL calls on Representative Wong’s colleagues to take pause before they act as hastily as Representative Wong in voting for this anti-family measure."
