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UPDATE, via Matt Comer of QNotes via Twitter, news to make you ill:
Breaking: #NCGA House committee passes anti- #LGBT amendment. More details: goqnotes.com/12375/ #ncpol
From the article:
A proposed anti-LGBT constitutional amendment will be considered this afternoon and this evening in the North Carolina House of Representatives. It’s another surprise move by Republican legislative leaders, who had previously announced, though sneakily, that the amendment would be heard today in a Senate committee. Sources say two GOP senators have excused absences, leaving the body without the votes for passage.
Speaker of the House Thom Tillis (R-Mecklenburg) said at a press conference this afternoon, that the new House version of the amendment, SB 514, would be heard on the House floor if successfully passed through the House Rules Committee this afternoon.
You aren’t going to believe the sh*te going on in Raleigh at our General Assembly (the House is taking it on today) where 1) the public is not being allowed to speak, and 2) no legal experts on the impact of the hate amendment are going to be allowed to speak either. Look at this language coming out of House Leadership, the repugnant Skip Stam (follow hashtag #NCGA there are a lot of reporters there).
@fitzsimon Stam claims that courts “have forced same sex marriage on the people.” Sounds like George Wallace talking about integration #ncga.
@greeneatsblog: I am absolutely disgusted with the #GOP #ncga right now. They’re attempting to shove through amndmnt w/ no public comment, no legal opinion.
@NCCapitol: Tillis: House will vote Marriage Amendment today. May ballot, not Nov. #ncga #ncpol
RT @mtdotnet Stam just justified marraige amnt by comparing it to 1600s law. Next on agenda: public stonings. #ncga
RT @wccubbison: Stam explaining that domestic partnerships will be illegal under this amendment. Indys oppose that language by 20 points. #ncga
This is a complete sham of a democracy. If the pro-amendment bigots believe so strongly about limiting the civil rights of gays and lesbians while our economy goes to hell in a handbasket, surely it can withstand public and professional scrutiny. WRAL has live video:
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9 Comments
Haven’t been able to follow the discussion in the NC kangaroo legislature. I’ve just glanced through what you have written here and have a question. Since I am clueless about NC law, just wondering if it would be possible to block (and overturn) this amendment from going to the ballot in Federal Court based on the parliamentary procedures (i.e. the lack of public/legal discourse and/or possible illegal procedures) used to pass the bill?
And if the NC Supreme Court weren’t so anti-gay, it could easily find that amendment unconstitutional as well. It only makes it harder to change things legislatively.
The place to overturn that amendment is the federal courts. State supreme court justices are often elected and much too prone to influence from special interests.
This little episode just illustrates something that I’ve been saying for a while: the Christian right is fundamentally anti-democratic and un-American. It’s probably a function of their knowing the “truth” based on their haphazard reading of the Bible and picking and choosing what they want to observe. That leaves them singularly unfit to function in a pluralistic society with constitutional guarantees of personal liberty. They hate the very idea.
The bottom line is LGBT North Carolinians will not receive the full civil rights they are entitled to without a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court. The fight now is to stop legislation that would slow progress down.
Is this as vile as it sounds?
In other words, Stam isn’t even as concerned about gay marriage as gay divorce? Divorcing couples must be left in permanent legal limbo, and equitable distribution of joint assets must be denied at all costs?
I just read that they are planning on putting this on the May primary ballot, which, according to the lying Rebuplican thugs in the GA is meant to take “politics” out of the vote. The only problem with that is there are NO major Democratic primaries next year in NC. So this amendment will be decided largely by Republican voters. I am one gay person who is already actively looking for jobs out of state. NC is nothing but a facist, teabagging shithole anymore.
House set to vote on same-sex union ban By Laura Leslie Posted: 2 minutes ago
“The latest version, S514, specifically exempts contracts entered into by “private parties.”
The Republicans put in some language to make it more likely to pass, but this is an extreme bill.
Republicans are trying to spin it as if it is the same as it is now, but it is not. This bill will take benefits away from local government employees and harm local domestic violence protections.
I work for Durham county. My partner will lose all benefits (medical, dental, etc) now afforded to him by the County.
That makes me mad. It is also make me afraid what will Republicans will do next.