RK ARCHIVE - Warner's equal rights initiative already sparking debate

Warner's equal rights initiative already sparking debate

By: Corey
Published On: 12/18/2005 2:00:00 AM

The Times-Dispatch picks up the story of Governor Warner's proposal prohibiting discrimination against gays in hiring and promotions in Virginia's many agencies. They point out the clever political move by Warner to include the statue in an omnibus spending bill rather than a separate bill that may be easily killed in committee. The spending bill includes many initiatives favored by Republicans and the bill will probably make it out of Committee and force the entire GA to vote up or down on it. They also note that 84 legislators signed a pledge with Equality Virginia, a gay-rights lobbying organization that pressed Warner for the ban, to prohibit discrimination in their offices.

The always outspoken ultra-right wing Republican Delegate Robert Marshall outlined his and some of his colleagues argument in favor of continuing discrimination:

"Check the psychiatric manuals: People have sexual orientation toward objects and animals," ... "Does this mean drag queens in the classroom? [Warner] is leaving it to us to clean up the mess."

However, there is a lot of speculation this statue will pass:

"One knowledgeable source said that [Republican House speaker] Howell told the governor he would not lead a pitched battle against the ban."
"But Del. John S. Reid, R-Henrico, a member of the influential House Appropriations Committee, doubted the clause would be sufficiently controversial to be reversed by lawmakers."

Lastly, the article explains how the executive order Warner signed, in addition to this proposal that makes discrimination illegal by state agencies, expires when he leaves office. It then falls onto Kaine to continue the practice.

Progressives need to take control of the debate: You are either FOR discrimination or AGAINST it.

Comments

Absoulutely right. (Corey - 4/4/2006 11:30:23 PM)

Absoulutely right. There has been a lot of consolidation of power to the majority party. There is the rules change you mention as well as the new ability to kill a bill in a sub-committee (it used to have to go to the full 22 member committee. I blogged about this here.

The passage of the statue is far from certain. Progressives need to frame the debate as you're either for discrimination or against it.

It is important to k (Claire Gastanaga - 4/4/2006 11:30:23 PM)

It is important to keep in mind that the budget bill can and will be amended in the money committees (House Appropriations, Senate Finance). This makes the House Rule change last week important. Instead of allocating seats based on "members of the majority caucus" vs. "nonmembers of the majority caucus" which put independents and Dems together in deciding proportional representation, the rule now aligns the independents with the majority caucus when allocating committee seats. This means that nonmajority House members will not pick up an extra seat on all committees in the House as would have been the case under the old rule. But there are still 5 vacancies on House Appropriations to fill. Who ends up on the committee may decide the fate of the nondiscrimination provision in the budget bill.

Bob Marshall is just (Lowell - 4/4/2006 11:30:24 PM)

Bob Marshall is just like Rick Santorum, obsessed with bizarre sex practices like bestiality. Sad to say, but THESE people are the ones who need to be written up in psychiatric manuals!