Burnt Orange Report

HJR 6 Debate on the Senate Floor

By Byron LaMasters

Watch it live, here.

Update: In the Pink Texas reports that Madla switched sides to allow a vote to bring up the bill.

Update 1:50 PM: Rules are suspended by a 21-8 vote.

Update 2:26 PM: These debates sometimes get amusing. On floor amendement 8, Sen. Van de Putte proposed and withdrew a "some sex" amendment.

Update 2:28 PM: HJR 6 adopted by a 21-8 vote. The 21 votes were all Republicans except for Brimer who was absent along with Democratic Senators Armbrister, Lucio and Madla. The other 8 Democratic Senators voted against HRJ 6.

More: In the Pink Texas has some more on the HJR 6 Senate sponsor Todd Staples.

More: The amendment will be put to a statewide vote on November 8, 2005. BOR will keep you updated with the latest on the amendment and the NO on HJR 6 campaign.

And More: LGRL Statement:

A historically dangerous and discriminatory constitutional amendment is headed to Texas voters. The Anti-Gay Texas Marriage Amendment (HJR 6) passed the Texas Senate this afternoon. The amendment was approved by a vote of 21 to 8, narrowly meeting the two-thirds majority required.

The amendment has been cleared to appear on a statewide ballot this November. This would mark the first time in history that a minority group would be singled out in the constitution in order to be denied rights. Constitutions are historically treated as sacred documents, designed to preserve rights and ensure equality for all.

Randall Ellis, Executive Director of the Lesbian/Gay Rights Lobby of Texas, says the amendment is dangerous. "This amendment is potentially devastating to thousands of Texas families, gay and straight alike," Ellis said. "Domestic partnership benefits, powers of attorney, and even common law marriage will be called into question by this amendment. These are consequences that are supposedly unintended, according to the amendment's authors. But this is clearly a discriminatory act, designed to strike at our community at its fundamental level: our families. The Legislature is obviously willing to sacrifice all Texas families for this unjust agenda of intolerance and discrimination."

Marriage affords hundreds of legal rights, responsibilities and obligations, like the ability to visit a spouse in the hospital, social security benefits, second parent adoptions and many more. These are denied to thousands of loving, committed gay couples across Texas, many of them raising families of their own.

This amendment would, in effect, solidify LGBT Texans' status as second-class citizens.