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NH Senate Passes Civil Unions, Governor Vows to Sign!!!

by: Nicholas Gunn

Wed Apr 18, 2007 at 16:00:57 PM EDT
That's the diary I should have been able to write today.

Instead, we've got this:

A civil unions bill moving quickly through the State House hit a jam yesterday, and some are questioning whether Gov. John Lynch, who has been silent on the issue, is behind it.
A Senate spokeswoman announced yesterday a vote on civil unions expected Wednesday had been put off, and she didn't know when it would be scheduled.

Blue Hamsters, we really need your help.

This is a call to action diary.  Follow me over the jump.
Nicholas Gunn :: NH Senate Passes Civil Unions, Governor Vows to Sign!!!
What went wrong?  Two weeks ago today, the bill passed by a wide margin in the NH House, 243-129.  It passed through the Senate Judiciary Committee.  It was expected to easily pass the State Senate, with a 14-10 Democratic Majority, even a few Republicans were going to vote for it.

The problem, is that progressives aren't organized.  When the bill came before the Senate Judiciary Committee, here's what happened:

The list of those who signed up to speak on the bill ran roughly 2-to-1 against it, 211 to 94. Senators said they have been sent hundreds of e-mails that are about evenly divided. The committee adjourned after 4.5 hours without hearing everyone.

Now that the Senate is expected to pass the bill, conservative activists have been focusing on the Governor's Office.  John Lynch's office has been flooded with hundreds of post cards opposing Civil Unions.  They're probably filled with hateful `messages such as this:

Do you really think that two April Nor'easters on the exact same days of the voting of this bill ... are a coincidence? I personally think God is not entirely pleased with the way the state of New Hampshire is voting in regards to gay and lesbian lifestyles. Remember Sodom and Gomorrah?" wrote Isaac Masana of Somersworth.

We need to fight back.

Please contact John Lynch's office and urge him to support HB 437.  Tell him gay and lesbian couples deserve the same rights, privileges, and obligations under the law as heterosexual couples.

Office of the Governor

State House
25 Capitol Street
Concord, NH 03301
(603)271-2121

Or, at the very least, send them an email.

If Civil Unions fail in New Hampshire, we have no one to blame but ourselves.

Cross-posted, with some modification, at the Daily Kos
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NH Senate Passes Civil Unions, Governor Vows to Sign!!! | 12 comments
The rightwing is organized (4.00 / 1)
They are flooding the statehouse with their hate. Each day hundreds of post cards arrive in the mail. Our elected Democrats are getting hateful e-mails. When the House voted on the bill it attracted over 350 anti-gay protesters.

There is a lot of good work being done on our side but the effort needs to ger louder. Much much louder.

Lynch (0.00 / 0)
I heard rumors that Gov. Lynch was holding the Civil Union bill hostage to help pass his education constitutional amendment. Wonder if deal has been struck? 
YEah (0.00 / 0)
I think its our rumor:

Are Lynch and Larsen Holding Civil Unions Hostage?

Did you hear it somewhere else?

[ Parent ]
rumor (0.00 / 0)
Yea from Chuck Weed hahahahahaha
[ Parent ]
hmmm... (0.00 / 0)
The influential Blue Hampshire.
[ Parent ]
Well.. (4.00 / 1)
I actually heard this theory coming from two members of the House education committee, while I was at the CDM convention on Saturday.  I went to Blue Hampshire on my phone and was very impressed to see that the same thought had occured here as well.

It's time we steer by the stars, and not the lights of every passing ship
[ Parent ]
This is (0.00 / 0)
Lynch's Rubicon, though it needn't have been.  Totally unnecessary waste of political capital going on right now, on top of the fact that this bill is as clear a reflection of the American value of "equal opportunity under the law" as you can get, and therefore the right thing to do.

But I will refrain from further expressions of disappointment (or praise) until I hear of the vote, or it's scuttling.

Lynch on Tuesday (0.00 / 0)
spoke in Portsmouth.

...he did say he was against discrimination of any kind and that he would "make his views known shortly."

...Lynch said Tuesday that he has been speaking to legislators, organizations and individuals about this legislation, which would give partners in same-sex unions virtually the same rights as heterosexual married couples.

"People have very strong feelings about this issue, and I wanted to make sure they understand that I am listening to them and taking their views into consideration," Lynch said.

The governor said he expects the Senate to take up the bill next week and that he doesn't expect any amendments to the House bill.


[ Parent ]
Well, that's good. (0.00 / 0)
However, just how soon is 'shortly'?

And, why couldn't he just answer the damned question?

Was he just stalling on this so that he could come around to it on his terms?  Was he sending a signal to the Democratic Base that he won't be pushed into supporting progressive legislation?

I don't get it.

[ Parent ]
Oregon's beating us to it (0.00 / 0)
Oregon's House has already passed Civil Unions legislation, and their Democratic governor has been out front all along about where he stands.

He says he looks forward to signing the bill.

We should throw a diary up on that n/t (0.00 / 0)



[ Parent ]
Well... (4.00 / 1)
Looks like we're going to beat them to it, eh?
[ Parent ]
NH Senate Passes Civil Unions, Governor Vows to Sign!!! | 12 comments
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