Oregon House Democrats have been quoted a lot lately about the issue of granting civil unions to same-sex couples. On election night this year, Speaker-elect Jeff Merkley stated "This is an opportunity for us to present a wonderful agenda on healthcare, on prescription drugs, a full school year for children, biofuels, and a real conversation about civil rights and civil unions". Most recently in today's Oregonian, Dave Hunt, our new House Majority leader laid out a couple of the issues that will be their top priority in the 2007 legislative session. Brad Cain's article titled, "Civil unions, other issues, back on Ore. lawmakers' agenda", says it all. For a refresh on the 2005 bill that would have allowed for civil unions and an omnibus statewide anti-discrimination policy click here for prior extensive coverage by this blog.

Here it is:
But various interest groups, from gay rights organizations to environmental activists, worked to help the Democrats regain the majority in the House in the Nov. 7 election. They're ready for their issues to be high on the Legislature's agenda as well.
Chief among them will be a renewed push for civil unions legislation.

With strong backing from Democratic Gov. Ted Kulongoski, a civil unions measure to open up to same-sex couples hundreds of benefits available only to married couples won approval in the Democrat-run Senate in 2005.

But House Speaker Karen Minnis and other GOP leaders refused to bring the bill to a House vote, arguing that would thwart the will of Oregon voters who approved a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage in the November 2004 election.

With help from Basic Rights Oregon and other gay rights groups, Democratic challenger Rob Brading came close to knocking off Minnis in her own re-election campaign in the Nov. 7 election. But civil union backers succeeded in their next-best goal of helping Democrats win the majority in the House.

"We set out to help re-elect Gov. Kulongoski, to keep Karen Minnis from returning to the House speaker's office, and to create a pro-equality majority in the House - and we succeeded in all three things," said Basic Rights spokeswoman Rebekah Orr.

This past week, House Majority Leader-elect Dave Hunt said civil unions legislation will be brought to a vote in the House this time because he thinks most Oregonians support the idea.

"We are not talking about bringing up divisive issues," the Milwaukie Democrat said. "We're trying to follow positions that we think are very much supported by a majority of Oregonians on education, health care, public safety and civil rights."

Labels: civil union, oregon

This entry was posted on Saturday, November 18, 2006 at 2:24 PM. Want to discuss? Leave a comment below.