May 2000 Out in the Mountains 5 Senate Judiciary committee Alters H.847 BY BARBARA DOZETOS Montpelier, VT — The Vermont Senate Judiciary Committee spent four weeks in March and April examining H.847, the civil union bill passed by the House on March 16 in response to the Supreme Court’s decision in the Baker case. Under the direction of com- mittee chair Senator Richard Sears, D-Bennington, the six- member panel took testimony from many of the same wit- nesses and experts heard by the House committee as they draft- ed their bill. “We are obligated to go over the bill carefully,” said Sears. “We cannot just rubber-stamp it.” The committee also dis- cussed a proposed constitution- al amendment that would have defined marriage as a union between one man and one woman. Although four of the six panel members were stridently opposed to the constitutional amendment, the committee voted 5-1 on March 11 to have the proposal debated by the full Senate. It went to the floor with ‘no recommendation’ from the committee. Only Senator Richard McCormack, D-Windsor, voted against sending the amendment out to the floor. “To advance an amendment in order to allow a vote on it is failing to do our duty,” said the Senate Democratic Leader. Senator Dick Mccormac, Howdy Russell nd Rep. Bill Lippert. However, the majority Democratic leadership of the Senate decided that giving the upper chamber the opportunity to debate the amendment open- ly, even though it had little chance of passing, was critical in paving the way for the civil union bill. Supporters of the amendment made it clear they would employ a parliamentary procedure to attempt to remove Benefit Implementation Dates Staggered Photo: Barbara Dozetos the proposal from the commit- tee if the committee didn’t vote it out. “Let’s get up on the floor and debate,” said Judiciary Committee Chair Richard Sears, D-Bennington. “I want to give the full Senate the opportunity to vote.” Senator John Bloomer, R- Rutland, a proponent of a con- stitutional amendment and a member of the Judiciary Committee, accused the Democrats of maneuvering the vote to send a message, but conceded that Republicans were using similar tactics. “I guess that’s part of the political process,” he said. “I under- stand it’s being done for jock- eying.” Bloomer said his own goal was giving the full Senate a chance to debate the issue, although he conceded the amendment probably didn’t have the support it needed to pass the Senate. The Senate’s version of the civil union bill was basically the same as that passed by the House with only a few changes, the most significant changing the ‘effective date of the taxation and insurance por- tions from September 1, 2000 to January 1, 2001. The remainder of the bill would go into effect on July 1, 2000. The effective date change was in response to testimony from Elizabeth Costle, Commissioner of the Department of Banking, .§i§§E€§:§%°£ .2» ?2i§ Senate Approves civil Union Legislation Handily BY BARBARA Dozeros MONTPELIER — A bill almost identical to the civil union bill passed in March by Vermont’s House of Representatives won prelimi- Judiciary Committee. Beth Robinson, lawyer forthe plantiffs, testifies before the Senate nary approval from the Senate on April 19 before a crowd of spectators that overflowed the chamber’s small gallery and filled the lobby. Senators also resoundingly defeated two pro- posed constitutional amend- ments. Pho Opponents of the bill, wear- ing white ribbons, and support- ers with their bright pink stick- ers stood shoulder to shoulder in the chamber. Others waited in the hallway for hours hoping to get a seat inside when some- one left. In contrast to the highly emotional, two-day-long debate in the House, the Senate’s debate lasted only a few hours and was subdued. _ “I wasn’t around to vote for women’s right to vote or for the civil rights laws in the 1960s,” said Sen. Jean Ankeney, D-St. George, “But I feel lucky and honored to be here now to vote for this.” “H.847 is just and overdue,” said Sen. James Leddy, D- South Burlington. “There is nothing in the [Baker] deci- sion, this bill, or the relation- ship between two same sex people that is a threat to my marriage.” “We can do something very, very important here,” said Sen. Richard McCormack, D- Bethel. “We can make life a lit- tle less hard for gay and lesbian people.” Sen. Ben-Zion Ptashnik, D- Norwich, said he was worried about the messages being con- veyed by some of the religious leaders. “When there is vilifi- cation of people from the pul- pit,”” he said, it leads to fear, hatred, and the Holocaust.” Ptashnik said’ he believed that no one can speak for God. “To those who believe their religious views are paramount, I would say that no one has a lock on morality.” Senator Mark MacDonald, D-Williamstown, an eighth grade social studies teacher, said he had decided to vote against the measure, but changed his mind when one of his constituents asked him how he would explain his vote to his .»students whenhe returned to school. “Politicians can fool them- selves and they can choose to fool their constituents, but how do you tell a kid you voted against a bill for the sole pur- pose of being re-elected?” he asked. He exhorted fellow lawmak- ers to help heal the divide in the state. “Go out and help them get beyond the easy answers. Make them think about it.” Several senators who voted against the bill said they were doing so because their con- stituents opposed it. Others said they feared the national and international reaction. “All ofthe United States and the world will judge our deci- sion today]? warned Republican Senator}. Julius Canns of St. Johnsbury. He asked supporters of the bill to stop “-playing the race card.” He said he was of three races — black, Indian, and white ~ and was offended by comparisons to the struggle for racial equal- ity. Canns said, “There is no civil rights problem here, only a sex problem.” ' “We are talking about suf- fering and pain in the lives of people who are discriminated against,” Senator Elizabeth Ready, D-Lincoln, responded to Canns. “These people have fought battles we don’t know about.” A 19-11 vote moved the ?%.§§§;§§ ’::=~ $23