Hodgson: Senate In 'Limbo' Until Vote On Same Sex Marriage
He decries the Senate's "lack of urgency"; Rep. Giarrusso says these early days are for getting bills written and, in general, tackling smaller issues.
One month into the General Assembly's 2013 session, things haven't changed very much from this point two years ago, according to Sen. Dawson Hodgson (R-Dist. 35).
"We’re about a month in, we’ve only had one or two calendars since inauguration day," Hodgson said, referring to days in which there's formal action on a bill. "This is the time of year when we show up and there’s no bill pending, there’s no votes ... on state business."
Hodgson said inaction on same-sex marriage is one reason for the Senate's seeming "lack of urgency."
"Whether you support same sex marriage or oppose it … these are deeply held motiviations and they are profound on both sides. For my colleagues who are deeply engaged on this issue on both sides, they deserve to see if it put to a vote," said Hodgson.
"If it passes, it passes. If it fails, it fails. And then we can truly address the economy," he said. "Right now everything seems like it’s in limbo."
Hodgson said he was confident about Senate bill S-154, which he filed last week. It calls for an audio or video recording of all committee hearings, debates and votes to be placed on the legislative website for three years.
"Citizens deserve to know how their laws are being made, and it is often difficult for them to accommodate their work schedules to the General Assembly's unique calendar patterns," he said in a press release. "Posting these deliberations online allows our constituents to see firsthand what forces are shaping legislation."
The bill has 21 co-sponsors, a majority of the Senate and has been referred to the Committee on Special Legislation.
Rep. Anthony Giarrusso (R-Dist. 30) sees these early days of the session as the time when legislation is drafted and, in general, more narrow issues are tackled.
"They range far and wide, from one bill to require insurance companies to notify the DMV if a driver’s insurance has lapsed or been cancelled to another that asks that liquor stores and wine dealers get 60 rather than 30 days of trade credit," said Giarrusso via email. "The insurance bill makes sense; the trade credit bill makes none at all. Why should the state be regulating how certain industries conduct their business when there is no impact on the public?"
Giarrusso has his name attached to 11 bills so far, he said. "Many of those I have agreed to co-sponsor are focused on making government work better – term limits for state representatives, elimination of the master lever in elections, prohibition of lobbyist contributions from Jan. 1 through July 1 (when the General Assembly is in session)."
He said the larger issues will arise as the House Finance Committee begins its work.
"We have the governor’s point of view, and now the legislature must speak. So much of what government does – or doesn’t – is a result of budgetary authority. Vice President Joe Biden is credited with saying, 'Don't tell me what you value. Show me your budget, and I'll tell you what you value.' Stay tuned; this is where it will get messy."
John Bonti
7:26 am on Sunday, February 3, 2013
We have enough laws in effect so lets live with what we have now.Enough is Enough
Mark Sission
12:16 pm on Sunday, February 3, 2013
I agree
Dan Johnson
1:04 pm on Sunday, February 10, 2013
The laws in effect should treat everyone equally under those laws, as promised in the founding documents and required by the 5th and 14th amendments to the constitution.
Marriage equality should be passed without further delay. Justice delayed is justice denied.
Requiring residents to cross the state line so they may have a legal marriage at home is irrational, counter productive, and cruel. It only creates an unnecessary burden. Pass marriage equality now, and move on to things that affect everyone.
John Bonti
7:27 am on Sunday, February 3, 2013
We have enough laws to follow that are in effect we do not need any more.Enough is Enough
jim halsband
11:41 am on Sunday, February 3, 2013
Couldn't agree more, John, thank you! Gay marriage has paralyzed our state legislature!! And Hodgson says this with a straight face and we are supposed to applaud, and understand, and allow this dysfunction to continue business as usual. I say dissolve this shameful assembly of politicians, I have contacted so many of them to advance new technology in recycling, something that directly affects every one of us every day, and to absolutely no avail. I get emails stating clearly that we are very busy getting settled in and have no time to meet for coffee and talk about new innovations that creates jobs and turns waste plastic into 25 or 30-cents per gallon home heating oil! What on earth is more pressing and urgent for every RI'er than heat and economic well being. Same-sex marriage is more important to discuss than jobs and the economy, my opinion on that is live and let live, if they wish to be married, that's great, then they can be as miserable as the majority of the married community, but to grind an already dysfunctional state government to a halt is absolutely unacceptable. I want action right now on my permitting issue that is halting the advance of this recycling technology. I want replies from my elected officials explaining why this permit issue is not being addressed, we do not need more new laws to arrest more people, we need our economy to grow, and we need some visionary leadership now, no more business as usual, that has not been working out too well!
Dan Johnson
1:07 pm on Sunday, February 10, 2013
It is only those who refuse to treat others as they would themselves, that are causing the delay. There is no legitimate governmental interest served by denial of equal treatment under the law.
Dan Johnson
1:55 pm on Sunday, February 10, 2013
Dr. King said: "Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed." He also acknowledged that real change takes time; yet he also warned against the "tranquilizing drug of gradualism" and instructed the oppressed to demand equality now - not on the convenient time schedule of those doing the oppressing. So we must speak out and work for equal rights, not sit quietly and hope straight people eventually will decide to give them to us as some sort of reward for waiting patiently.
Many have changed their understanding of gay people, and many more will in the future. But each day that passes is still a long time to wait for equal treatment under the law as required by the 5th and 14th amendments.
It is also too long to wait for the young people who kill themselves every year because they can't assimilate their sexual orientation with the dehumanizing prejudice they were taught by the law from early childhood.
All mainstream medical and social science organizations in the US agree, being gay is a natural expression of human bonding for a minority of the population. It has always been that way, and there is no longer any reasonable or scientifically supportable excuse for prejudice and discrimination.
We also know for sure, that prejudice and discrimination lead to suffering and death. Now is the time to remove the unsupportable prejudice we have been taught from childhood, from the law.
Dan Johnson
7:27 pm on Friday, February 22, 2013
Life isn't fair.
You can be.
The law is required to treat all persons equally.
The fact we often fail to live up to that requirement only shows why it is important to require it under the law. The founders were well aware the majority would deny equal treatment to the minority if given the chance. That is why they promised equal treatment for all, in the founding documents, and required it in the constitution.
5th: "No person shall ... be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law;"
14th: "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside. No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."
Dan Johnson
7:28 pm on Friday, February 22, 2013
"The Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments of the United States Constitution limit the power of the federal and state governments to discriminate. The private sector is not directly constrained by the Constitution.
The Fifth Amendment has an explicit requirement that the Federal Government not deprive individuals of "life, liberty, or property," without due process of the law and an implicit guarantee that each person receive equal protection of the laws.
The Fourteenth Amendment explicitly prohibits states from violating an individual's rights of due process and equal protection."
http://finduslaw.com/us-constitution-5th-14th-amendments