AS CALIFORNIA GOES, SO GOEST THE NATION
By Phil Dobson
(WebToday, January 16, 2002)-- Many of you may not know it, but here in California we've been fighting same-sex unions for some time. Almost two years ago we overwhelming passed proposition 22, which read, "Marriage is between one man and one woman." Since this time many of our State lawmakers, that could care less of the wishes of the voters, have assaulted us with bill after bill that would give same-sex couples the same rights as married couples. Case in point, Assembly Bill (AB) 1338, the civil union bill authored by Democratic Assemblyman Paul Koretz of West Hollywood.
According to Assemblyman Koretz AB 1338 will affect over 1500 laws that currently apply only to marriage and will give homosexual couples the same status as married couples. The bill says, "Any statute or provision of California law that applies to marriage, marital status, or a marital relationship shall apply in the same respect to a civil union. A spouse in a civil union shall be included in any definition or use of the terms 'spouse,' 'husband,' 'wife,' 'married person,' 'family,' 'family member,' 'immediate family,' 'dependent,' 'next of kin,' or any other term that denotes or includes a spousal relationship under state law."
Monday this bill was withdrawn from consideration by the Assembly Judiciary Committee by it's author. While many here in California celebrate the news, it's a guarded victory, one that we cannot take for granted.
This action by Koretz comes on the same day as three California news conferences: a State Capitol news conference by State Senator Pete Knight, a strategic news conference in San Bernardino by Campaign for California Families, another news conference by Capitol Resource Institute; and a nationwide Focus on the Family radio broadcast by Dr. James Dobson.
Last fall at a meeting of homosexual activists in San Diego, Barbara Cox, an associate dean at California Western School of Law, said, "What we're trying to do in California now is have California also help lead the way in creating civil unions and giving same-sex couples some of the rights or most of the rights that opposite-sex couples have.because until we get civil unions we'll never get marriage."
Executive Director of Campaign for California Families (CCF) Randy Thomasson reacted to the news of the bill being shelved for now, "We thank God for this tremendous victory. Pressure from pro-family citizens and organizations made (Governor) Gray Davis and Paul Koretz think twice about overturning the people's vote on marriage during an election year."
Thomasson also said that, "Paul Koretz plans to reintroduce his 'civil unions' bill later this year or next year. Other Democrat legislators are considering introducing an omnibus domestic partners bill that would hijack more marriage rights for homosexual couples. This is no time to go to sleep!"
You may send comments to Phil at: dobson@madcrazy.com
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