In all the media discussion about Tuesday’s Con Vote or non-vote on same-sex marriage, I’ve heard very little about the impact of the SJC decision on the health care amendment. It seems to me the legislature is in a very difficult position, because it referred that amendment to a study committee that hasn’t yet met. It also seems to me that the legislature is under the same obligation to cast a final vote on that amendment as it may be on SSM. Not being a professional parliamentarian, I’m not sure what’s going to happen on Tuesday, nor am I sure how the ConCon can comply with the SJC’s interpretation of Article 48.
I wonder what would happen if the General Court chose to honor the National Day of Mourning for former President Ford on Tuesday. President Bush has ordered the federal government to close, the financial markets will close, and perhaps the Post Office as well. I suspect if there were no ConCon on Tuesday, His Expediency would also declare a statewide day of mourning. Perhaps we can have a “snow day” style solution to the problem of Tuesday’s ConCon.
The national day of mourning idea is a great one…it would be coolif Trav just simply said “we will not meet due to this day of mourning” and that would be it, but I doubt this will happen.
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I am more curious, what is the minimum number of legislators needed to have a quorum…maybe if enough just didn’t show up, that would finish things off.
Everyone realizes that if the ConCon fizzes out without a vote, it merely continues the issue for another 4 years, right? These bigots aren’t going to go away until the electorate tells them to go away.
It’s a lot of effort to get a petition on the ballot, not to mention the fact that this would push them out to 2010, when one could assume that same sex marriage will be somewhat more accepted then in 2008.
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Every delay helps our side, I think, because society becomes more tolerant as time passes. Don’t you agree?
I agree. As a tactic, delaying a vote is in our interests. Heck, even some Republicans in the State House have changed their opinion on gay marriage now that people have become habituated to it. People are getting more tolerant of the issue. But contrary to what many folks here assume, the issue will not go away. There will be another petition, and another ConCon. As long as there are bigots in the US willing to spend time and money here, as long as there is a Catholic Church in Massachusetts, this issue will not go away.
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So it comes down to this — is accomplishing this brief delay of debating an issue worth violating the idea of the rule of law and ignoring the courts? You say yes, I say no.