Posted on 02/28/2006 8:34:31 AM PST by Perseverando
This Friday, March 3, the House of Delegates Committee on Cities, Counties and Towns will hear SB 673, sponsored by Senator Mary Margaret Whipple (D-31, Arlington). This bill would allow self-insured local governments to add same-sex domestic partners to an employee's health insurance plan.
The language of the bill purposefully is vague - not specifically mentioning homosexual couples - so as to soften perception and increase its chances of passage. It already passed the Senate 35-5 earlier in the session. Stopping this bill now - this Friday - in committee is the best way to defeat it.
This bill was put forward by Equality Virginia, which proudly bills itself as Virginia's leading advocacy group for "gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered." This effort is Equality Virginia's second step in its game plan to require all entities, public and private, to cover domestic partnerships with benefits. Despite opposition by The Family Foundation, the 2005 General Assembly passed a law that allows private employers to offer such benefits to gay couples. If this bill becomes law, next year Equality Virginia will likely be back for an even more comprehensive law.
Passing this bill would put Virginia on a very slippery slope toward eventually requiring private institutions, such as churches, to carry policies that are in contradiction to their beliefs. It also could lead the way to eliminating faith-based institutions from eligibility for receiving grants to administer to their charitable works if they refuse to provide such benefits. Other states already have this requirement.
In addition to the slippery slope concern, this bill would be the first taxpayer funded domestic partner benefits in Virginia. Although it would not be statewide, those living in localities affected by this bill would have to mount tremendous opposition to stop their taxes from supporting this lifestyle. Ironically, Arlington, the main locality seeking this authority, is one of the areas in Northern Virginia where property taxes are increasing annually by double digits. The last thing residents should want to see happen is an expansion of new benefits to increase the cost of government.
In the late nineties, Arlington's local government tried to offer domestic partner benefits. Their action was a violation of the "Dillon Rule," which states that in Virginia, localities can only exercise powers expressly given to them by the General Assembly. A board member of The Family Foundation agreed to be a plaintiff in this matter and, utilizing an attorney who is now employed by Alliance Defense Fund, Arlington's actions were stopped by the Virginia Supreme Court. The court ruled that not only was this outside the scope of authority granted to Arlington, but that the county was "attempting to confer government recognition and support on a kind of domestic relationship unrecognized by Virginia law and contrary to the public policy of Virginia." While we stopped the homosexual agenda's attempt to circumvent the legislative process in the nineties, now we need to make our voices heard in the legitimate debate happening in the General Assembly.
ACTION: Contact these members of the House Cities, Counties and Towns Committee and urge them to VOTE NO on SB 673 in committee this Friday, March 2.
House Counties, Cities and Towns Membership:
Ingram (Chairman), Marshall, R.G., Orrock, Dudley, McQuigg, Suit, Oder, Marshall, D.W., Hurt, Cole, Iaquinto, Crockett-Stark, Lohr, Waddell, Hall, Hull, Jones, D.C., Spruill, Amundson, Armstrong, Ware, O., McEachin
For more info on the General Assembly and Legislation: http://leg1.state.va.us/lis.htm
Soon marriage will be unnecessary.
Bunch of bigots anyway ~ limiting it to "couples". Who are these homosexual activists think they are kidding? Everybody knows the real numbers are far different, and the only "couple" in the equation is "coupling".
Committee member emails:
del_mcquigg@house.state.va.us
del_orrock@house.state.va.us
del_spruill@house.state.va.us
DelACrockett-Stark@house.state.va.us
del_oder@house.state.va.us
del_dudley@house.state.va.us
DelSIaquinto@house.state.va.us
del_ingram@house.state.va.us
DelDJones@house.state.va.us
del_hurt@house.state.va.us
DelDMcEachin@house.state.va.us
del_hull@house.state.va.us
del_hall@house.state.va.us
del_cole@house.state.va.us
del_suit@house.state.va.us
del_oware@house.state.va.us
del_dmarshall@house.state.va.us
del_amundson@house.state.va.us
DelKWaddell@house.state.va.us
del_armstrong@house.state.va.us
DelMLohr@house.state.va.us
del_marshall@house.state.va.us
Specifically of interest to any Virginia Freepers.
Gopher,
Thanks so much for the e-mail addresses!
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