OLYMPIA — Four state lawmakers — flanked by supporters young and not-so-young, military veterans and civilians, religious and lay, Democrats and Republicans — joined in a noontime press conference today to champion marriage-equality proposals in the House of Representatives (House Bill 2516) and the Senate (Senate Bill 6239).
The two bills have also received their first public hearings in the Senate Government Operations, Tribal Relations & Elections Committee and in the House Judiciary Committee.
In addition to legalizing same-gender matrimonial unions, of course, this marriage-equality legislation aims to protect the rights of clergy and religious institutions:
- To determine for whom to perform marriage ceremonies.
- And to determine which marriages to recognize for their own specifically religious purposes.
Supporters note that the state of Washington in recent years has marched toward the establishment and maintenance of equality for gay, lesbian, and bisexual citizens. They emphasize that this year’s legislation builds upon this work already carried out.
The two measures should come up for a vote in their respective committees in the next several days. Bill backers hope to move them to the House and Senate floors in the coming weeks and send a finished product to the governor’s desk well ahead of the early March legislative adjournment.
STATEMENTS
State Sen. Ed Murray:
“We have come this far because of families. Because gay and lesbian veterans, law-enforcement officers, small-business owners and couples from all walks of life have had the courage to share their stories of love and commitment. I also want to acknowledge the personal, thoughtful and brave decisions by lawmakers of both parties who have declared their support of marriage equality. As a community, Washington stands ready to take an important step toward justice.”
State Rep. Laurie Jinkins:
“This is a great day for all Washingtonians who believe in the love, commitment and devotion that marriage embodies. In times like these, we should be doing all we can to support all our families. Marriage equality takes us another step forward toward doing that.”
State Rep. Jim Moeller:
“Time was always on our side. It’s been said that change is inevitable, but growth is optional. Some folks choose not to grow, while other folks are waiting for our laws to catch up.
“This is about love and family and commitment. Our 2012 legislation recognizes that nothing is more personal than the decision two human beings make to commit themselves to one another in a declaration of matrimony — a marriage.”
State Rep. Jamie Pedersen, House Judiciary Committee Chair:
“Today’s hearings demonstrated how important it is for the Legislature to take action on marriage equality this session. I was moved by the families and veterans who came forward to share their stories about why our state should allow gay and lesbian couples to marry — and impressed by the broad coalition of faith leaders, businesses and other allies who were willing to testify in support of equality for all Washington families.”