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Don’t get complacent, Washington & friends, get to work! That’s the message from Washington state Senator Ed Murray (D-Seattle), one of the primary sponsors of the marriage equality bill (SB 6239).
It’s tempting to assume that equality is in the bag when we’ve observed the incredible momentum created by Gov. Gregoire’s endorsement followed by the endorsement of Republican state Senators Litzow and Pflug and the councils of King County and City of Tacoma. But we’re still 2-3 votes short in the Senate and the opposition is being directed by a shadowy puppet master (how else to explain this).
Here’s what Sen. Ed Murray recommends (H/T The Stranger):
It’s time for people to stop popping the champagne corks and get to work. People need to contact their legislators. They need to give to Washington United for Marriage. They need to talk to their friends, their family members, their churches and synagogues. People need to step up. If you live in Seattle, write a check. If you live outside Seattle, contact your state legislators. We have work to do. Put the champagne away, it’s not time yet. …The rightwing will put it on the ballot. We saw that with R-71. The organizations down here working—the gay organizations—have hired lobbyists and community organizers. That has to be paid for. HRC has seven full-time community organizers in seven districts in Washington state and they’ve hired a business lobbyist to work with businesses, and all of that has to be paid for. And the way to do that is by giving to Washington United for Marriage.
It’s not over when it passes the senate. We can win in the senate and lose at the ballot box—if we don’t get organized now.
Here are links you’ll need:
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Bill affecting transgender use of restrooms and dressing rooms loses Senate sponsor
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Sorry, this was posted to the wrong story.
“If you live in Seattle, write a check. If you live outside Seattle, contact your state legislators.”
I respectfully disagree with this part of Sen. Murray’s statement. I believe it should be: “If you live in Washington, write a check, contact your state legislators, talk to your friends and neighbors. See if there are other ways you can help.” People in Seattle aren’t the only ones who can donate money. People in Seattle can also contact their legislators.
I recognize that Seattle is the “hub” of Washington state. However, Olympia (the capitol) has an organized community, as does Tacoma, Bellingham (where I am), heck there’s even a group in Spokane!
This is the time for all these cities, groups to work together, with each other and with friends. Mr. Hutcherson over at Antioch church has already made clear that he, among many others, is going to fight.
We *will* *all* fight, but it would be nice if the rest of Washington wasn’t patronized by Seattle.
Good points! Perhaps Sen. Murray was addressing Seattle since he’s a senator from Seattle, but you’re right that everyone across the state can and must contribute in any way they can (donations, phone calls, local organizing).
As a Rhode Islander, I want to echo this advice (with the additions from commenters here.) Last year, a lot of folks in the RI community thought that passing marriage equality was a done deal with a supportive governor and an openly gay House speaker. But we did not have the votes in the Senate, and a lot of people in the community were very naive and thought the Senate would just go along with the House. Instead, the lack of Senate support convinced some House members to turn against us (they didn’t want to go out on a limb when the Senate would just kill the bill), and the result was a civil unions law that no one wanted or wants.