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Legislative Wrap-Up for 2007-2008
The 2006 elections placed control of the Vermont House and Senate firmly in the hands of the Democrats. The original position of Democrat leadership is full support of Civil Unions while also stating support of Traditional Marriage. However, a coalition of Progressives, far left Democrats and “moderate” Republicans introduced identical bills to legalize homosexual marriage into the House and Senate for 2007-2008.
There were two big political questions pertinent to whether or not this bill would advance:
(1) did House and Senate leaders want to risk reopening a painful and divisive debate which could well give the GOP a powerful campaign issue for 2008, and
(2) are there sufficient votes in the House to override a veto from Governor Jim Douglas? We are pleased that the answer to both questions was “NO”.
Despite a much mentioned liberal “Super Majority”, the 2007 defeat in the House of the “Physician Assisted Suicide” bill (63 Yes; 82 No) signaled that a veto could be sustained when House leadership pursued “hot button” social issues.
Indeed, when Speaker Symington and Senate Pro Temp Shumlin convened their “Kangaroo” commission in Aug. 2007, they publicly stated that this General Assembly would not be dealing with any bill about homosexual unions. And such was the actual result.
The report of the “Kangaroo” commission in April of 2008 attempted to lay the groundwork for speedy passage of a full homosexual marriage bill in the 2009 General Assembly should the Nov. 2008 elections strip Governor Douglas of the votes needed to sustain a veto in the House.
See text of newest homosexual marriage bill in Senate, S.80.
See text of newest homosexual marriage bill in House, H.225.
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