New Hampshire Republican state House Rep. David Bates is back at it again.
The Boston Globe reported Tuesday that Bates is circling back, introducing yet another bill to revoke the freedom to marry from New Hampshire's LGBT citizens. The last one was met with much resistance because it would have barred even civil unions. On Tuesday, he introduced an amendment, but it's a hot mess of spin, lies and animus.
Civil unions would replace marriage, but now Bates says he wants to give voters "a chance to weigh in" via nonbinding ballot resolution. Here's how it works (emphasis mine):
He said if voters decide in November they want to keep civil unions for homosexuals, gay marriage would be repealed. He said if voters object to repealing gay marriage, lawmakers would have time to stop the repeal from taking effect.
Get it?
It's nonbinding. "Stopping the repeal" would mean putting it up for a legislative vote again. Which of course, was always an option in a functioning democracy—nonbonding resolution or not. So, no matter how the popular vote goes, Bates wins. Isn't that convenient way to run a democracy? The Taliban beams with pride at their American counterpart. Castro lights a stogie to Rep. Bates' grand scheme.
We've said the vote is near, many times since midterms. They tabled the measure last year, but now we have a date. The House vote is expected next week, possibly Wednesday.
You know what to do.
Take action!
Daily Kos has made it easy for New Hampshire residents to contact their representative and express opposition to repeal. Just
provide your zip code to the Daily Kos form here to find your rep's contact information. After you contact them, share the form with your neighbors.
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A non-binding resolution only makes a bad idea worse. In these economic times, why would Rep. Bates want to saddle the state of New Hampshire with the cost of a nonbinding resolution that accomplishes nothing but poll citizens? Saving the state of New Hampshire the cost of a pointless referendum seems a good enough reason to vote no on his bill just by itself.
His Republican colleagues agree.
Sean Owen, chairman of New Hampshire Repbulicans for Freedom and Equality, released the following statement, and he isn't loving the idea of Bates' nonbinding referendum either:
“Legislators were elected to represent the people, and popular opinion has been very clear on the issue. Representative Bates continuously discounts poll after poll showing voters favor the freedom to marry by a two-to-one margin and then proposes the world’s most expensive public opinion survey, expecting the taxpayers to foot the bill.”
“The addition of a nonbinding referendum is a distraction. Republican lawmakers were elected to focus on the fiscal issues of the state and not to take away freedoms from law-abiding, taxpaying citizens.”
We already know how the people of New Hampshire feel. The
last poll showed "only 27 percent of New Hampshire adults support repealing same-sex marriage, while 50 percent strongly oppose repeal." This has been consistent, with support rising for years. The information is all right there for those of us living in the reality-based world.
Opponents of marriage equality had their chance to make their case with a populous uprising, and they really did try. In 2010, they launched a petition drive to repeal the law through a town hall mechanism provided for in the New Hampshire constitution. The effort was called "Let NH Vote."
The effort was a failure, not a little failure, a big failure.
Standing Up for New Hampshire Families reminds Rep. Bates that 69% of New Hampshire towns rejected the repeal petition effort.
Well, I wondered what would become of the conservative's favorite tactic and talking point, "let the people vote!" now that marriage equality support is fast becoming the majority opinion. We see it will be amended to "Let the people vote, in nonbinding resolutions!"
This bill isn't doing a thing about jobs, the economy or taxes or anything New Hampshire residents really care about. This is all about Bates serving special interest groups, like NH Cornerstone, out-of-state groups the National Organization for Marriage, and nationally funded hate groups like Family Research Center. The majority rules small "d" democratic path is clear to everyone living in the reality-based universe. Like birth control (ha, ha), the topic is finished, the issue is settled. Like birth control, the deranged right just won't accept the answer the people gave them.
And Rep. Bates is spinning fast and sweating bullets trying to keep his caucus from abandoning him, because it isn't at all clear the libertarian-leaning Republicans have united behind his quest to override Gov. Lynch's promised veto and strip citizens' of their existing freedom to marry.
Craig Stowell, Republican co-chairman of Standing Up for New Hampshire Families said:
“Representative Bates is now trying an ‘everything but the kitchen sink’ approach in his sputtering effort to repeal this popular law. Changing the definition and throwing in another non-binding referendum doesn’t change the facts. Bates had his referendum in 2010 and cities and towns overwhelmingly rejected it.”
“This is nothing more than a desperate, last minute Hail Mary pass. The truth is voters like this law, more than 2000 couples have already married and in New Hampshire, we don’t take rights away. This is nothing more than window dressing and the legislature should reject this out of hand.”
Indeed.
Bates' fealty to out-of-state religious right leaders that don't care about the feelings or the will of Granite state voters has created yet another in a long line of Waterloo moments for his party's failed leadership of the state House.
Take action!
Daily Kos has made it easy for New Hampshire residents to contact their representative. Just
provide your zip code to the Daily Kos form here to find your rep's contact information. After you contact them, share the form with your neighbors.
The Granite state Republicans are really sweating this one. And they should be.