Justin RunquistFormer House Speaker Newt Gingrich holds a press conference with reporters in a press house outside the Capitol.
Posted on 02/24/2012 2:16:19 PM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
Justin RunquistFormer House Speaker Newt Gingrich holds a press conference with reporters in a press house outside the Capitol.
OLYMPIA – Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich impressed local Republican lawmakers at the Capitol Friday with his goal to create a new energy plan for the U.S.
"We need an American energy program that makes us independent from Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Iran," Gingrich told a crowd of reporters after speaking with lawmakers.
The Republican presidential candidate stopped by the Capitol on his way to campaign rallies in Federal Way and Everett. Before speaking to reporters, Gingrich met in private with Republican legislators to pitch his ideas.
Rep. Ed Orcutt, R-Kalama, said he connected with Gingrich on frustration over the increasing cost of gas.
"He's concerned with rising gas prices, as we all are," Orcutt said, "and he wants to do something about that."
Gingrich told reporters that his goal as president would be to bring average gas prices down to $2.50 per gallon nationwide.
"When I was speaker, it was $1.15," he said.
Gingrich left the speaker's post more than a dozen years ago.
He also criticized President Obama for letting gas prices spike as much as they have.
Orcutt took the opportunity to talk to Gingrich about forest policy, an area of particular concern to the representative, who works as a forestry consultant outside the Legislature.
"I would like to work with him on forest policy to try and make sure we've got good, sound practices on our national forests to try to prevent them from burning up in catastrophic wildfires," Orcutt said.
Gingrich touched on the topic later with reporters. If he becomes president, Gingrich said, he will replace the Environmental Protection Agency with a new agency.
He criticized the Forest Service for burning too many acres of trees in its fire prevention policy.
"If you look at the Forest Service, it does a really bad job of managing our forests," Gingrich said. "We burn out an amazing number of acres that shouldn't get burned out and it's because of bad policy by the Forest Service."
Gingrich also fielded questions about some of the hottest social issues in the state this session: gay marriage and the push to legalize marijuana.
Washington went through the right process to legalize gay marriage, he said. But he added that he doesn't think gay and lesbian couples should be able to marry.
Gingrich said legalizing marijuana would give people the wrong message about drugs.
"I think we have a very serious drug addiction problem in this country," he said. "And I think sending signals that drugs are acceptable is, first of all, medically and scientifically not right."
Furthermore, federal law, which bans any medical use of marijuana, trumps state law, Gingrich said.
"People are kidding themselves when they think they will be able to get away from federal law," he said.
Gingrich is the third Republican presidential candidate to visit the state this month. The state's precinct caucuses are March 3.
He acknowledged that the race has been far more challenging and unpredictable than he expected.
"This is a much more complicated marathon than anybody would have guessed," Gingrich said.
Maybe if the Forest Service would concentrate on burning marijuana fields instead of forestland we could kill two birds with one stone ;-)
Wrong Newt. The legislature was always pulling this stuff when I lived up there, and they still are. A law was passed previously and the people that want to preserve real marriage, now have to go beat the bushes with petitions again.
The Washington Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision, ruled on July 26, 2006, that the state legislature is permitted under Washington's constitution to limit marriage to opposite-sex couples. While the state's ban on same-sex marriage, the Defense of Marriage Act of 1998, was upheld, the court noted that its ruling did not prevent the legislature from changing state law to allow same-sex marriage, and three justices in the majority invited the legislature to review the ban's effect on same-sex couples. In 2007, the Legislature created limited domestic partnerships. In 2008, Washington expanded domestic partnerships to "everything-but-marriage".[1][2] This law survived an electoral challenge in the form of Referendum 71 (2009) on the November 2009 ballot.[3] In April 2011, Gregoire signed a law treating out-of-state same-sex marriages as domestic partnerships in Washington.[4] Prior to this, Washington state honored lawful out-of-state domestic partnerships and civil unions, but out-of-state same-sex marriages were not recognized in any way. A bill to legalize same-sex marriage passed the Legislature and was signed by Governor Christine Gregoire on February 13, 2012. Same sex marriages can be performed starting on June 7, 2012, but that may be delayed if opponents gather enough signatures to force a voter referendum on the legislation. If the signatures are gathered, the legislation will only come into force following a November ballot, if it is upheld by the vote.[5]
That’s kinda creepy.
How is that not the right process? You get to elect your legislators and tell them how you want them to vote. And if they don’t listen, you have the option to have a referendum. What possible other process could be put in place that would be better? This was not a case where the courts tried to claim there was already a legal right to same-sex marriage that somebody thought of 200 years ago and magically tucked away inside the folds of the constitution somewhere.
It’s amazing how Newt is so knowledgeable and prepared on every issue. I can’t imagine Romney even getting the briefing on the Forest Service issues let alone knowing that much about them off-the-cuff.
Mitt thinks Michigan trees are the right height. NW trees are way too tall.
Pray for America
I believe he was misquoted on this OR, much more likely, journalists are twisting his meaning. I know he is definitely against gay marriage, but not against a state’s people voting on the issue.
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Gingrich Suggests There’s a ‘Right Way’ to Legalize Gay Marriage [Right Way To Legalize Incest Too?]
Wall St. J ^ | February 25, 2012 | Danny Yadron and Brody Mullins
Posted on Friday, February 24, 2012 3:06:09 PM by Steelfish
FEBRUARY 24, 2012 Gingrich Suggests There’s a ‘Right Way’ to Legalize Gay Marriage
By Danny Yadron
OLYMPIA, Wash.–In a break with Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich declined to outright attack a new law that allows gay marriage in this state, suggesting he is OK with states legalizing gay marriage through popular vote.
Asked at the state Capitol what he thought of states passing laws that allow gay marriage, the former House speaker responded, “I think at least they’re doing it the right way, which is going through voters, giving them a chance to vote and not having a handful of judges arbitrarily impose their will. I don’t agree with it, I would vote, ‘no,’ if it were on a referendum where I was but at least they’re doing it the right way.”
Gay-marriage bills recently passed in Washington state and Maryland could still face referendums from voters. Shortly after Washington’s governor signed the law this month, Mr. Santorum, the former Pennsylvania senator, met with its opponents and argued it weakens marriage at a time of high divorce rates, according to the Associated Press.
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Newt DOES NOT approve of gay marriage. He said that a referendum is the correct process for deciding the issue on the state level.
The problem is journalists twisting the meaning of Newt Gingrich’s statement.
The US Forest Serrvice is filled with some of the most property-hating neo-Nazis pricks on Earth.
We had to spend $600,000 on attorney fees to open up Isle Royale to boaters. And the asshole leftist judge refused to make the nazi forest service pay the legal expenses.
If you legislators aren’t voting according to their constituents then it’s time to replace them.
Easier said than done I know, I live in Illinois.
JB
Around here they plant the marijauna inside the State and National forests.
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