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Sunday, Jul 27, 2008
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Sen. Ed Murray comments to SGN as domestic partnership bill moves through committee |
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| Sen. Ed Murray comments to SGN as domestic partnership bill moves through committee | |
| by Nick Ardizzone -
SGN Staff Writer In a press release announcing the passage of the new domestic partnership bill through the Senate Government Operations and Elections Committee on Thursday, Sen. Ed Murray issued a simple statement on respect and equality: "This bill is another necessary step toward giving couples who have built loving families and lives together legal protections and financial security that married couples are entitled to," he said. "Lesbian and Gay couples deserve to be treated equally - with not only rights, but with responsibilities as well." The Seattle Gay News wanted to dig deeper into the complexities of the bill, but time is a precious commodity in the Senator's hurried schedule. Even so, Murray was able to speak to us via telephone between sessions so we could find out what the bill's progress means to the GLBT community and what we could do to help. Bill 6716 expands both rights and responsibilities for registered domestic partners, mainly dealing with financial security, property rights, joint responsibility for debts and protection from having to sell the family home to pay for nursing home costs. Murray felt the bill's most important aspects were related to issues of community property, veterans' benefits, and nursing home visitations, though he also felt it significant that GLBT elected officials would be required to report their partners' incomes, "just like heterosexual legislators do," he said. When asked to expound on his strategy for the ultimate passage of the bill, Murray was concise. "The best - and really only - strategy is for Gay and Lesbian couples to tell their stories to their legislators," he said. "That's how we get votes: when people hear from citizens who work hard and pay their taxes and contribute to their communities and happen to be Gay or Lesbian, it changes votes every single time. We had very good hearings, and I think the hearings told a story." The bill has made it this far due in part to the strength of the testimony of the citizens supporting it, and no one understands the power of their words better than Murray. "Everyone has contributed and worked on it & everyone deserves credit," he said. "The couples who testified are more important than [State Representative] Jamie [Pedersen] and I," he added. The bill's progress through the committee bodes well, and Murray said Governor Christine Gregoire was "supportive" of the bill, but the actual vote won't take place for a while. "It's a leadership call," he said. "It could be any time between now and the end of the session. The earliest it could reach the House floor is probably two weeks away." Though the bill is nearing the House vote, the Seattle community shouldn't rest on their laurels. Murray had some suggestions for what supporters of the bill could do. "Never take a liberal for granted," he cautioned. "They should contact their own legislator from Seattle. Let them know how important it is. Also, think of who they know outside of Seattle, and ask that family member or that friend to contact their representative or their senator in support of the bill & we need people to write to newspapers, to come out to their families, and for families to come out to their elected officials and tell the story of their relationships." His brief break from session over, Murray emphasized the power of community to spearhead new movements. "We know that when we came out as individuals, we changed the world." he said. "Coming out as couples will change the world again, and that's the most important thing we can all do to make this legislation a reality." |
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