Christine Johnson’s H.B. 267 would have made it illegal to discriminate against people just because they were different. It died in the House Business and Labor Committee, its motion to recommend failing by a vote of 5-8-1.
Scott McCoy’s S.B. 32 was the first to go – The bill would allow all couples who are financially dependent on one another to sue in the event of a wrongful death. The Senate Judiciary, Law Enforcement, and Criminal Justice Committee not only substituted the bill in committee, it motion to recommend failed too, this time by a vote of 2-4-1
Jackie Biskupski’s H.J.R. 2 would have amended the Utah Code to clarify marriage as consisting just of a union between a man and a woman. Furthermore this resolution would not have become law, rather the decision would still be left to the people as to if they wanted to change the rules they lived by. Its death was, perhaps, the most noble. Representative Biskupski chose to drop the bill to avoid any backlash related other Common Ground bills going through the legislature – sadly, it appears to have died in vain.
And now we come to Jen Seelig’s H.B. 160. The bill would allow people over the age of 18 who are in financially dependant relationships to declare this in the state. This, in an attempt to clarify property rights in the event of one persons death.
As you can imagine, Seelig’s bill will be pronounced dead by House Judiciary Committee Chair, Representative Fowlke, sometime around 10:30 along a presumably party line vote. Its death signals the end of the Common Ground Initiative (this obituary was written the night before).
Only one bill actually used the term “gay or lesbian.” None of the bills threatened “traditional marriage” (one even went so far as to make it even more obvious). The L.D.S. church, despite its statements stating that it “does not object to rights for same-sex couples” did not campaign for any of the bills (certainly as much as it did in favor of Proposition 8). 63 percent of Utahs who feel that homosexuals should have some legal protection were ignored, and those who were disrespectful and abusive towards elected officials rule the day today.
But, hey, marriage is protected for another year.
In lieu of flowers, the bereaved family suggests you read Eric Ethington’s weblog on the issue and hopes you make a donation to Equality Utah.
