( - promoted by Dean Barker)
Your Help Is Needed! This coming Thursday, February 5th, there will be four bills up for public hearing about LBGT equality. Two would reduce our Civil Unions Law, and the other two provide full marriage equality and fighting discrimination based on gender identity.
The bills will be heard by the House Judiciary Committee in room 208 of the Legislative Office Building, which is directly in back of the State House in Concord.
One of our proudest accomplishments in the 2007 Legislature was the passage of Civil Unions, a move toward full equality for our New Hampshire gay and lesbian friends, family members, and neighbors. It was fantastic to see Governor John Lynch sign the bill into law in May of that year. During the past 13 months that Civil Unions have been allowed, over 600 couples have made their commitment to share their love, caring, and lives together.
Here are the four bills that will be up for public hearing: |
| 10:00 AM - HB 147, prohibiting the recognition as civil unions of marriages between persons of the same sex contracted outside of New Hampshire. Sponsored by Reps. David Hess, Mike Kappler.
11:00 AM - HB 453, establishing that marriage between one man and one woman shall be the only legal domestic union that shall be valid or recognized in this state. Sponsored by Reps. Leo Pepino, Gary Daniels, John Flanders; Sens. Jack Barnes, Sheila Roberge.
1:00 PM - HB 436-FN-L, relative to civil marriage and civil unions. (Providing full marriage equality.) Sponsored by Reps. Barbara Richardson, Ed Butler, Paul McEachern, Jim Splaine.
2:00 PM - HB 415, adding certain terms regarding non-discrimination to the laws. (Adding "gender identity or expression" to our non-discrimination laws.) Sponsored by Reps. Ed Butler, Barbara Richardson; Sen. Martha Fuller Clark.
Bishop Gene Robinson will be speaking at the 1:00 PM hearing. Please consider attending to show or signing-in your support of what we accomplished in 2007 on any of these bills. We should not be taking a step back -- and it would be great if we could continue the march toward full equality!
If you cannot attend, please consider sending E-Mails, calling, or mailing letters to members of the House Judiciary Committee, or your local New Hampshire State Representatives or Senators. The list of House members and Judiciary Committee members appears on the "nh.gov" WEBSITE. (On the right hand side of the WEBSITE, click on "Legislative," then click on "House." Then click on "House Committees," then "Standing Committees," then "Judiciary." You'll find all the names of the Committee members, and contact information.)
The Judiciary Committee will likely not immediately vote on the bills, so you have a few days to pass on your thoughts. Our Legislators do enjoy hearing from you. Please contact me if I can give more information: jimsplaine@aol.com |
