12 | Out in the Mountains | February 2000

 

Democrat David Deen of
Westminster, Republican
William Suchmann of Chester,
Democrat Mary Sullivan of
Burlington, and Progressive
David Zuckerman of
Burlington signed onto the bill
Corren, also a Progressive,
called it the most expedient
and effective way of dealing
with the Supreme Court’s
Baker decision.

The bill was assigned to the
House Judiciary Committee to

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Marriage continued from page seven

  

Representatives Dean Corren and David Zuckerman are two of the six
members of the House who signed onto H694, a bill that would
include same-gender couples in Vermont's marriage statutes.

include in its considerations.

Corren said it was inspiring
to draft “the remedy for what
may be the last great instance
of legal discrimination based
solely on bigotry. There is a
growing momentum for gen-
uine equal treatment, and a
realization that domestic part-
nership will not work.”

Bill co-sponsor Suchmann
made his support clear in a
December 30 letter distributed
in the legislature and to news-

  

(Left to right) Representatives Mike Edwards and Alice Nitka listened as Lauri Morrison of
Norwich described keeping her familiy’s personal life a secret for years. She was one of

 

at least two people who made the decision to out themselves at the public hearing.

papers around the state. In the
letter he asked fellow legisla-
tors to set aside emotional per-
sonal issues and do what he
said was the right thing.
Support for H.694 was not
diflicult to find, Corren said.
While not everyone was will-
ing to sign on as a sponsor,
many legislators indicated a
willingness to vote for the bill
if it received the approval of
the judiciary committee. In
particular, they will be watch-
ing the reaction of the commit-
tee’s highly respected chair,
Tom Little of Shelburne,
whose backing is considered
important for its passage. V

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Sup Brew

world's Fair Slleclnl
Winter Expedition Ale

 

Peter Harrigan (right) and his partner Stan Baker are one of the three
couples BethFtoblnson (left) represented in Baker v Vermont.
Robinson’s co-counsels Susan Murray and Mary Bonauto attended
the public hearing on January 25.