| Now that the November elections are over, it's time to check in on some upcoming ballot initiatives around the state, including one led by a homophobic "family values" group in El Paso.
Last year, as part of their annual budget and in a victory for equality, the El Paso City Council extended health benefits to same sex and unmarried domestic partners of city employees. Outraged that their government was rewarding fornicators and homosexuals, a group called El Pasoans for Traditional Family Values spearheaded a successful referendum to make sure that health benefits are only awarded to straight, heterosexual couples in wedded bliss. It passed with 55% of the vote.
Believing the voters had gone too far, the City Council voted by a majority to overturn the referendum and restore the benefits to gay and unmarried partners. And now they're fighting for their jobs.
El Pasoans for Traditional Family Values is trying to get three city officials instrumental in overturning the referendum (and whose terms were not already expiring) - Mayor John Cook and Reps. Susie Byrd and Steve Ortega - recalled in a special election. And they have enough signatures to do it.
But the plot thickens. Though rounding up enough signatures for a recall election wasn't too difficult, there's now a major lawsuit involved. The El Paso Mayor is suing El Pasoans for Traditional Family Values for using churches illegally for recruiting and distributing petitions. The case may even be headed for the Supreme Court, with implications that could be much broader.
El Pasoans for Traditional Family Values is led by Tom Brown, a prominent El Paso exorcist. (Every city has one, right?) Whereas most Religious Right wing-nuts stick to the usual arguments about protecting the sanctity of marriage, etc., Brown took it a step farther by claiming he was actually advocating for civil rights by protecting the "sanctity" of people's votes, which the city officials "stole" when they restored rights to gay couples.
So there may be a special recall election in the spring. But first there's a hearing about whether the petitions for the recall can be used at all. It started in October, and though it should have been fairly straightforward, several witnesses pleaded the Fifth rather than declare which church they belong to, and Tom Brown wouldn't show up to court despite a subpoena. So the hearing is still ongoing, and there is no resolution yet as to whether or when the election will be held. We'll update you as we find out more!
Timeline:
- 2009 - City council approves a budget that expands health benefits to same-sex and unmarried domestic partners of city employees
- November 2010 - El Paso voters, led by El Pasoans for Traditional Family Values, pass a referendum preventing city employees from sharing benefits with domestic partners
- June 2011 - City Council rejects the referendum and restores benefits to domestic partners; El Pasoans for Traditional Family Values begins recall petition
- September 2011 - El Pasoans for Traditional Family Values submits required petitions for a recall election on city employees
- October 2011 - Hearing begins on whether petitions can be used; ongoing
- Spring 2012 (tentative) - Potential recall election (if petitions deemed valid)
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