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2 e~0ut lnthe Mountains April 2000

Senate Judiciary Committee Takes Up Civil Union Bill

 

BY BARBARA Dozrazros

The spotlight is now on the
six members of Vermont’s
Senate Judiciary Committee.
The committee has scheduled
three weeks of testimony on the
bill.

“We’re not just going to rub-
ber stamp the House bill,” said
Chair Dick Sears, D-
Bennington. “We’re going to
go through it completely line
by line and come to our own
conclusion.”

So far, the slate of witnesses
lined up to testify echoes those"
who appeared before the House
committee before they started
drafting the civil union bill,
H.847.

Committee Vice-Chair Dick

statutes to include gay and les-
bian couples. However, his
committee’s first action on this
bill was to vote unanimously to
take marriage out of the equa-
tion. Sears hopes this move will
significantly reduce the time
his panel needs to work on the
bill. “It took the House commit-
tee more than four weeks just to
reach that conclusion,” he said.

Committee member Vincent
Illuzzi, R-Barton, introduced a
domestic partnership bill late
last year, before the Vermont
Supreme Court returned the
Baker decision and its mandate
that gay and lesbian couples be
granted the rights, benefits and
privileges extended through
marriage to heterosexual cou-
ples. Now, however, Illuzzi
seems to be backing off even

the will of the majority of his
constituents, the former State’s
Attorney says he may find him-
self forced to vote against his
own bill, or something close to
it.

“I didn’t expect the vehe-_

ment opposition to this idea,”
said Illuzzi. “The people feel
they’re being pushed into this,
and I can’t ignore their voices.”

McCormack agrees that a
representative’s personal stance
must be tempered by other
things, but disagrees with
Illuzzi’s conclusion.

“I’d be gambling with other
people’s rights now, if I went
on demanding marriage,” he
said. Citing political realities
and the social climate,
McCormack said, “The House
has given us a well-crafted

DICK McCormack, D-Bethel, as been an outspoken proponent t

McCormack, D-Bethel, has
been one of the leading sup-
porters of extending marriage

Debate continued from page one

the Supreme Court mandate. “This amendment does-
n’t recognize the nature of commitment and love pre-
sent in a same-gender relationship,” said Dean
Corren, P.-Burlington. “They are notthe same as two
elderly sisters who depend on one another.”

Later in the day, as hundreds of supporters of equal
rights for gays and lesbian gathered outside the build-
ing for a candlelight vigil, Corren offered an amend-
ment that would have replaced the entire bill with lan-
guage that would include gays and lesbians in mar-
riage statutes. “The problem with this entire debate is
the effort to define marriage,” said Corren. “You
know marriage when you see it. Marriage is what
married people do.”

As expected, Corren’s amendment was defeated
soundly. In a public display of support for the legisla-
tion they had drafted, the entire membership of the
Judiciary Committee voted against it, even though
several of them have advocated for a bill that would
do exactly what Corren proposed.

Over the course of the evening, legislators stood up
to deliver their views on what they all agreed was the
most difficult issue any of them had faced intheir
political careers.

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what was seen as a compromise
of domestic partnership. Citing

$E%§a%"E‘§ J» ?$

Rep. Francis Brooks, D-Montpelier, responded to
complaints from several members that the legislature
had been placed in this difficult situation at the whim
of only five people —— the Supreme Court. “Hallelujah

extending marriage rights to gays and lesbians. As vice-chair of the
Senate Judiciary Committee, he is now working to see that the upper
chamber passes an acceptable version of the civil union bill.

dice and historic discrimination, are to my view, in
some ways, miracles.” .

The impassioned extemporaneous speech by the
General Assembly’s only openly gay member brought
tears to many eyes and inspired fellow legislators to

forjust five people orjust nine people,” he said, refer-

”Please consider the human beings you have decided to
place a stigma on.” Rep. Francis Brooks, D—Montpe|ier

ring to the United States Supreme Court. He said he
was personally for the people who have said we can’t
deny rights to people because they are different.

“Please consider the human beings you have decid-
ed to place a stigma “on,” said Brooks to colleagues
who would vote against the civil union bill. “Please
do what has made me proud to say I am a member
here.”

“I’m here to tell you that gay and lesbian people
and gay and lesbian couples deserve not only rights,
they deserve to be celebrated,” said Bill Lippert, D-
Hinesburg. “Our lives, in the midst of historic preju-

move that the entire address be recorded in the House
Journal, a rare occurrence. Struggling with his own
emotions as he pleaded with colleagues to vote for the
bill.

“We’re not a threat to your communities,” Lippert
said. “We are an asset. We deserve to be welcomed,
because we are your neighbors; we are your friends;
indeed, we are your family.” ( See page 18 for the full
text of Lippert’s speech.)

l

Photo: Barbara Dozetos