Matt Gunterman April 24th, 2007
I can’t help but laugh. Here in Connecticut — where there’s a Republican governor, no less — legislation has been passed and will become law to allow full-blown same-sex marriage. Not cheap-imitation “domestic partnerships,” but the real marriage deal.
Oh, and did I mention Connecticut is among the wealthiest states in the union? And, of course, this isn’t the first “liberal” thing the state has done, and there’s apparently been not much wrath of God showered down here yet. In fact, I’d say most residents of Connecticut don’t conjure up an image of paradise when Kentucky comes to mind.
So in a few months’ time, all the married gay couples in Connecticut will be merrily skipping the streets here hand-in-hand making their above average salaries and paying their above average taxes. In short, they’ll be adding more to Connecticut prosperity.
Meanwhile in Kentucky (from Joseph Gerth in today’s Courier-Journal)…
3 in GOP discuss benefits for gays
LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Fletcher administration may include the issue of domestic partner benefits for gays and lesbians working for state government in the call for a special legislative session.
Robbie Rudolph, who is running for lieutenant governor on a ticket with Gov. Ernie Fletcher, said the administration talked about it yesterday. Fletcher has said he wanted to call a special session to deal with the state’s retirement system.
Both Fletcher and Rudolph oppose domestic partner benefits.
“We’ll take care of this once and for all,” Rudolph said while discussing the issue during an hourlong debate on KET featuring the three Republican candidates for lieutenant governor.
He later declined to say specifically what the bill might say.
The University of Louisville’s board of trustees voted last year to extend health insurance to unmarried partners of all staff and faculty members.
The University of Kentucky is preparing to vote today on a plan to do the same thing.
A bill that would have prohibited state agencies, including colleges and universities, from offering the benefits passed the Senate during the recent General Assembly session but wasn’t considered by the House.
House Minority Leader Jeff Hoover said Fletcher hasn’t spoken to him about what he intends to place on the call for a special session, but he said adding it to the agenda might not have been needed if Fletcher had shown more leadership during the regular session.
“If they hadn’t closed their door every day at 5 o’clock — there wouldn’t be a need for a special session,” Hoover said in an interview later.
Hoover, who is running on a ticket with Anne Northup, said he opposes such benefits for unmarried domestic partners, which would include straight couples as well as gay and lesbian couples.
Dick Wilson, who shares a ticket with Paducah businessman Billy Harper, said he also opposes domestic partner benefits, but he questioned whether the timing is right to add it to the special session agenda.
The Fletcher administration has said it has concerns about the cost of extending such benefits to unmarried partners.
Only a handful of staff and faculty members at U of L have taken advantage of the policy since it became available at the beginning of the year, a university spokesman has said.
Rudolph said the issue is “a special issue” that warrants it going on a call for a special session. Usually only the most pressing issues are considered in a special session.
He added that Fletcher would try to get a consensus in the House and Senate before he decides to include the issue.
Rudolph wouldn’t speculate when that session might be held.
[...]
My favorite is this Rudolph guy: “We’ll take care of this once and for all.” Didn’t he not even graduate from high school, or something?
I think it’s instructive to see that what regressive Republicans in Kentucky think of as a problem that needs to be taken care of, progressive leaders of both parties in other states see as an opportunity that needs to be courted.
I wonder which states will come out ahead in the end?
