Same-Sex Marriage Ban Tabled

The state Senate has decided to table the constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, meaning that all that time the senators wasted debating this is, well, still wasted.

House leaders said if the bill passed the Senate it would be sent to the “House State Government Committee,” which apparently not only exists but is chaired by Babette Josephs, who opposes the bill. (She’d no doubt fight extra hard because her district includes the Gayborhood.)

But Vince Fumo knows otherwise! He says the Senate would probably strip the language also banning gays from the “functional equivalent” of marriage (i.e. civil unions). “I think there were enough votes to strip that out and I think that’s what scared them,” Fumo told KYW 1060 “So they needed an excuse, and the excuse was the House. Which is fine with me, any face-saver they want is good with me.”

Fumo would, of course, let them save face while telling the radio station exactly why the bill was tabled.

Pa. Senate Derails Proposal That Would Ban Gay Marriage [KYW 1060]
Yesterday: Same-Sex Marriage Ban Out Of Committee

Local Lawmaker Opposed To Killing

Since I’m in the 182nd district, I get occasional mailings of The Josephs Report, the official newsletter of State Rep. Babette Josephs. (Personally, I would have gone with The Babette Gazette.)

In the most recent issue, Fall 207, Josephs lets us know just what she’s doing for us with headlines like “Josephs works to end all discrimination” and “Breastfeeding bill now law.” (Anything that’s pro-breasts is supported by me.)

But the best headline of the report is none other than “Josephs opposes genocide in Darfur,” an issue I wasn’t quite sure of her stance on. Now that I know Josephs is firmly opposed to genocide, I believe she will get my vote next week. (It’s actually about divestment, I think?) Oh, wait, state house seats aren’t up this year? Then whatever.