This morning marked the first day that Oregon's Domestic Partnership law was officially back on the books after Friday's ruling in an Oregon federal court.

Hundreds of couples lined up at county offices across the state to officially get registered as Domestic Partners (congrats to all of you!). In Portland, some arrived at the Multnomah County Building near the east end of the Hawthorne Bridge as early as 4 a.m. to get in line for the building's 8 a.m. opening.

We'll bring you more pictures throughout the day.

Labels: domestic partnership, HB 2007, oregon, portland

Starting at 10am this morning, a federal court has been hearing from both sides of the Lemons v. Bradbury issue.

They'll here from a myriad of people including the Secretary of State's office, handwriting experts, anti-gay attorney's from the Alliance Defense Fund and of course Basic Rights Oregon and their counsel.

While the fate of Oregon's Domestic Partnership law may or may not be decided today - at least we have made it to this day. Judge Mosman, who is hearing the case, made it clear at the first hearing in late December that he saw the harm that a delay in this law would cause, therefore he wanted to keep the timeline as short as possible.

So today we could see two outcomes. He could rule from the bench based on the close to 5 hours of testimony - or he could make a ruling in about a week to two weeks.

We should know in just a few hours. Stay tuned.

Labels: domestic partnership, federal court, HB 2007, lawsuit, oregon

In response to the lawsuit filed yesterday, Basic Rights Oregon responds - as does the Secretary of State.

Basic Rights Oregon Executive Director John Hummel said that a lawsuit filed by anti-gay activists in a gambit to revive a failed referendum on Oregon's new domestic partnership law is completely without merit.

"This lawsuit demonstrates our opponents' commitment to dismantling Oregon's anti-discrimination laws," Hummel said in a statement today. "We have to be vigilant, and prepared to meet them at every turn. We are confident that this case will be dismissed."

The complaint filed in Federal Court by out of state attorneys alleges that Oregon's Secretary of State and a dozen county clerks erred by not creating special procedures to reinstate the signatures of people who said they had signed the petition, but whose signatures were found to be invalid using well established criteria.

Basic Rights Oregon has monitored the signature verification process on many occasions over the years. The process we observed on these petitions was consistent with what we have seen year after year, Hummel said. "The Secretary of State's job is to ensure the uniform and efficient administration of elections, and we're confident that all of the proper rules and regulations were followed as usual.

In early October, Oregon's Secretary of State certified the results of the referendum effort and found that that the petitions fell short of the number of required signatures to force a referendum on the domestic partnership law. The law takes effect on January 1, 2008.

Hummel said the lawsuit’s chance's of success are slim to none. “On January 1st, same sex couples in committed, caring relationships will have the legal recognition they need to take care of each other," he said. "Nothing is going to prevent this law from going into effect."

Then comes word from the Secretary of State's office. Let me just raise a glass to Scott Moore for the following statement (mainly the last sentence).

"What it comes down to is there are statutes that govern how signatures on initiative petitions are verified and those statues were applied in exactly the same way as every other initiative petition that's delivered to this office. The law is applied fairly and neutrally across the board," says Scott Moore, chief of communications for the Secretary of State. "To bend the rules to allow for an exception in this case would be granting special privileges to a select group."

Labels: domestic partnership, HB 2007, lawsuit, oregon, referendum

Today, anti-gay fanatics filed a lawsuit in federal court against the invalidation of petition #303, an attempt to overturn Oregon's Domestic Partnership law that goes into effect in less than a month on January 1, 2008. Because honestly why not? You already failed twice at stripping the rights of Oregon families - what's one more?

The lawsuit by the notorious extremist group "Alliance Defense Fund" was filed against the Oregon Secretary of State, as well as "several Oregon county clerks".

First - why was it filed in federal court? Last time we checked none of the participating attorney's for the gay hating bigots were licensed to practice law in this state, but it looks like they found some jack ass attorney's to fill those shoes.

Lets all take a step back at the big picture here. The group (Restore America) who sent the email announcing the details of this lawsuit have now moved to Tennessee. Oh what? Thanks for the reminder. They also have a major elections violation filed against them. They've taken part in a quite fraudulent scheme of raising funds. You can read more about that here.

The following is from "Restore America" announcing the lawsuit. It's basically a bunch of bullshit but we're trying to be "fair and balanced" like their favorite news channel:

ADF attorneys filed a lawsuit on behalf of several Oregonians whose signatures were invalidated by clerks' offices in 12 different counties. Many of the citizens sought, in person, to have their signatures revalidated since no legitimate reason existed to reject their signatures, but the clerks refused.

You can download a copy of the complaint here. So much fun!

No response yet from Basic Rights Oregon - I assume that will come within the next couple days depending on how serious they take this 'final anti-gay attempt of 2007'.

Deuces queer haters.

Labels: domestic partnership, HB 2007, lawsuit, oregon

David Crowe of the defunked and illegal 'political action committee' called Concerned Oregonians is crying fowl weeks after his failed referendum attempt.

From OregonLive today:

Opponents of the domestic partnership bill that passed the Legislature are still trying to get the law referred to the ballot, even though the secretary of state's office ruled earlier this month that they fell 116 valid signatures short of the 55,179 required by law.

The Medford Mail Tribune reports that opponents of the law - which allows same-sex couples to form domestic partnerships that include many of the legal protections given to married couples - are pressuring the Jackson County Clerk Kathy Beckett to count several signatures she had earlier invalidated.

Because the secretary of state validates petitions by using just a sample of the signatures, opponents figure they can make up their deficit by persuading the clerk to allow just six of the invalidated signatures to be counted. The group seeking the referendum, Concerned Oregonians, has rounded up eight people who say they signed the petition but had their signatures unfairly invalidated.

At this point, Beckett gives no indication she will change her mind. But if nothing else, it's a sign of how every angle of Oregon's initiative and referendum process is coming under intense scrutiny and pressure.

Give up already. When gay and lesbian Oregonians lost Constitutional Amendment 36 in 2004, sure we cried and were deeply upset - upset for very good reasons. Oregon's Constitution was scarred that fateful day. It was no longer the Constitution of the people, it was the Constitution for some.

Now, after your blatant failure to put the 26th and 27th (I think) anti-gay measure on the ballot (more than any other state in the nation) you are crying fowl. Take your defeat as just that. Oregonians simply aren't into your politics of bigotry and fear. That was so 2004.

You claim that Oregon's new Domestic Partnership law "violates the intent of Oregon voters who in 2004 adopted a constitutional ban on gay marriage." So why go through all these months of collecting tens of thousands of signatures?

If it was violating Measure 36 then you would file a lawsuit. If in fact it did violate Measure 36, you would win. I will give you some credit here though. Deep down you know that Domestic Partnerships in no way violate Measure 36--nor the "spirit of Measure 36". Hence why you and your fellow self-righteous bigots have failed to do so.

You also fail to notice that the proponents of Measure 36 have stepped back and are not participating in the referendum attempt. They even know that Domestic Partnerships are a far cry from marriage.

"The spirit of Measure 36"... what exactly is that? The way I see it the spirit of Measure 36 is damn evil by not only permanently inscribing blatant discrimination in Oregon's most sacred document, by locking Oregon families out of vital rights, protections and responsibilities.

I think families are the backbone of society, whereas you could not be further away from this belief. Selectively shutting out couples, especially with children from protecting one another is just plain wrong. As one of your cohorts said in a voter guide statement: "Speaking of families, raising a successful and loving family in the '90's can be challenging".

Damn right--10 years later it's even harder.

Now you are also falsely claiming that:

"...the legislature's results fail to provide a sufficient religious exemption to protect churches and religious organizations from being forced to hire homosexual individuals, and further it leaves to "a court to decide what is or is not closely connected with the primary purposes of the church."

The pair of plans also would require school districts to teach homosexual, bisexuality and transgenderism in their classrooms, and the domestic partnership proposal itself, would create discrimination."

Must I again remind you that the proponents of Measure 36, the Oregon Family Council decided not to involve themselves in the referendum attempt. In fact they called the religious expemtion "iron clad."

Let it go. Oregonians just aren't that into you.

Labels: 2008 elections, anti gay, anti-discrimination, domestic partnership, HB 2007, house bill 2007, oregon, referendum, SB 2, senate bill 2

Now that Oregon's Domestic Partnership law will be going into effect on January 1st, Basic Rights Oregon is holding a "Know Your Rights" event tonight in Portland - with more to follow in other cities around the state.

From BRO:

Come celebrate, learn about your basic rights under the new laws, and help plan the upcoming effort to defend them.

Wednesday, October 17th, 6:30pm. Metropolitan Community Church of Portland (2400 NE Broadway). To RSVP, contact Aubrey@basicrights.org

The upcoming cities are:

Eugene:
Thursday, October 18th, 7:00pm. Whitaker Community School (21 North Grand). To RSVP, contact Becky@basicrights.org

Corvallis:
Thursday, October 25th, 6:30pm. Westminster House (101 NW 23rd St). To RSVP, contact Maceo@basicrights.org

Bend:
Monday, October 22nd, 6:30pm. Location TBA. For more info, contact Tammy@basicrights.org

Salem:
November 7th, 6:30pm. Willamette University Law School, Room 218. To RSVP, contact Maceo@basicrights.org

Pendleton:
Date TBA. For more info, contact Thomas@basicrights.org

Southern Oregon:
Date TBA. For more info, contact Thomas@basicrights.org

Labels: domestic partnership, HB 2007, oregon

This just in! Anti-gay groups attempting to put Oregon's Domestic Partnership law on the Nov. 2008 ballot just found out that they failed to meet the required 55,179 signatures necessary.

When they turned in their supposed "63,000" signatures on Oregon's Domestic Partnership law they came proud and confident. On initial count it turned out they actually only had 60,531. Petitions then went to counties where they were further scrutinized.

As Basic Rights Oregon said, "The fact that they were unable to meet even this extremely low signature threshold shows how out of step they are with Oregon values."

From the Secretary of State:

The result of the signature verification is referendum #303 did not contain enough valid signatures to qualify to the ballot. Referendum #303 was filed on HB 2007 passed by the 2007 Oregon Legislature.

The proposed referendum required 55,179 valid signatures to gain ballot access. The referendum contains 55,063 valid signatures, or 90.97% of the 60,531 total unverified signatures submitted for verification.

The fight isn't quite over though in two big ways.

First, we are still awaiting word on their attempt for a referendum on Oregon's Anti-Discrimination law. They also claimed 63,000 signatures on that one--though on initial count had a bit over 59,000. It looks to me like the attempt to force a public vote on Oregon's Anti-Discrimination law will also fail--but you never know.

Second, the extremist fringe groups have pledged a repeal if they failed the first time. They could announce their intent any day now and they would have until July 3, 2008 to collect over 82,000 signatures.

So to be clear - as of January 1, 2008 same-sex couples will be able to register as Domestic Partners!

Labels: domestic partnership, HB 2007, oregon

Today in the Daily Astorian there is a fantastic editorial blasting the individuals and groups who are leading a referendum effort on the two gay rights bills signed by Gov. Kulongoski last week. While we wouldn't normally put an entire editorial up here, it's worth it.

We don't need to fight this battle again
Newcomers to this state have always had some trouble with Oregon's libertarian you-leave-me-alone, I'll-leave-you-alone conservatism. This is especially true of newcomers of the authoritarian fundamentalist Christian variety who confuse it with "liberalism."

In the early 1990s, newcomer Lon Mabon became alarmed at Oregonians' toleration for homosexuals and formed The Oregon Citizens Alliance. The OCA put several initiatives on the ballot prohibiting state and local governments and public schools from "promoting" homosexuality by saying anything about not discriminating against homosexuals.

The OCA's Measure 9 was defeated in 1992, but the Christian Right became increasingly shrill, and eventually put Measure 36 on the ballot - a state constitutional amendment declaring marriage must be between a man and a woman. It passed.

During the campaign on Measure 36, some of its most vocal supporters declared they were only protecting the "sanctity of marriage" and did not oppose laws that would give same sex couples the domestic legal protections that heterosexual couples had.

With that distinction in mind, the Legislature passed and Gov. Ted Kulongoski signed Senate Bill 2 banning discrimination against homosexuals in housing, workplaces and places of public accommodation like restaurants or theaters. The Legislature also passed House Bill 2007, creating domestic partnerships that grant committed same-sex couples similar legal benefits in taxation, insurance, hospitalization, etc. that heterosexual couples have.

Then Jack Brown of Grants Pass, the chairman of the Constitution Party of Oregon, announced he is circulating a petition to refer both bills to the voters. Brown says the bills "violate the spirit" of Measure 36. They do not, of course. The bills simply violate Brown's personal prejudices.

The Constitution Party, headed by former Republican Howard Phillips, openly advocates theocratic, Christian government for the United States, so Brown is likely to have national money to hire signature gathers and buy their way onto the ballot as many interest groups have done in recent years.

Labels: HB 2007, house bill 2007, oregon, referendum, SB 2, senate bill 2

Today, Governor Kulongsoski signed into law a domestic partnership bill that would extend to same-sex couples the rights, benefits and responsibilities currently only available via a marriage contract... BUT only valid within the state of Oregon.

Today he also signed into law a comprehensive anti-discrimination bill that will outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation in employment, housing, public accommodation, public education etc. Religious employers, institutions and organizations are exempt from this new law.

What an amazing day to be an Oregonian. Both laws go into effect Jan. 1, 2008.

Check out this viedo from the signing:

Labels: anti-discrimination, domestic partnership, HB 2007, house bill 2007, kulongoski, legislature, SB 2, senate bill 2

Tomorrow, Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski will sign Oregon's Domestic Partnership bill and a comprehensive anti-discrimination bill. The day has finally come. 34 years after the first anti-discrimination bill was introduced.

Tomorrow Oregon will also become the first state in the U.S. to pass any sort of relationship rights law after passing a constitutional amendment banning marriage for same-sex couples. There is no doubt that Domestic Partnerships are not marriage, but this bill is an amazing step forward in proving the invaluable rights to Oregon families who are currently otherwise unprotected.

The domestic partnership bill is obviously not portable to any other state, therefore as a couple you are legally strangers in the eyes of that state if you travel. It also doesn't afford to couples and their families the 1,138 rights and immunities granted at the federal level.

Again, that said, absolutely amazing! Tomorrow is historic in every way. Way to go Oregon, I'm proud to call you home.

-GS

Labels: anti-discrimination, domestic partnership, gay rights, HB 2007, house bill 2007, oregon, SB 2, senate bill 2

In a very surprising editorial this morning, the uber conservative David Reinhard writes a rather supportive piece on Oregon's Domestic Partnership bill that passed last week-to be signed by the Governor this week. His statements are below and some of our thoughts below that.

David Reinhard's Editorial:

Oregon's war over gay marriage ended this week, not with a bang but a whimper. The Senate passed not a bill establishing homosexual marriage or civil unions but one establishing domestic partnerships -- a legal contract giving gay and lesbian couples some of the benefits of marriage.

[...}

The domestic partnership bill the Senate passed last week and Gov. Ted Kulongoski will sign into law soon is the whimper -- and, really, "a big whup" for traditionalists. At least, it should be.

But social conservatives should look closely at what actually passed. It isn't marriage. That will remain between a man and woman in Oregon. The Democratic Legislature and Kulongoski only handed up a super-contract between two adults of the same gender.

Their domestic partnership act isn't marriage by another name, and even the bill's supporters know it. One Eugene gay man said, "It is kind of separate but not equal," and Sen. Vicki Walker, D-Eugene, had this to say last Wednesday on the Senate floor: "It's shameful that in the name of equality, we must set up a system of inequality."

[...]

It's hard to see this as much of a triumph for gay-rights forces -- or much of a threat to traditional marriage. Social conservatives should be honest with themselves, and be fair to gays and lesbians.

One, gay and lesbian couples do have justifiable, practical concerns. The domestic partnership bill may not have been the best way to address them, but it's good that these real concerns will be attended to. Having the law recognize that homosexual couples exist and face practical problems hardly gives homosexuality some societal stamp of approval or places same-sex arrangements on par with traditional marriage.

Two, far greater threats to marriage exist than the kind of domestic partnership arrangement we're talking about here. And homosexuality or gay rights -- or even same-sex marriage -- have little to do with these threats.

Truth to the tell, heterosexuals and heterosexuality are the real menace to marriage. Out-of-wedlock births and family nonformation, too-easy marriage and too-easy divorce, a me-centric approach to marriage on the part of adults and a silly, sex-obsessed popular culture -- no, heteros have been doing a bang-up job of undermining marriage all on their own.

If social conservatives want to do something to bolster marriage, their time would be better spent working on these matters than fretting over Oregon's new domestic partnerships law.

While for the most part I completely agree with him for once, I can't help but wonder what the intent is. There is no doubt that I think he believes what he is saying, though it comes on the heels of "The Oregon Family Council" saying that they have "no plans" to do a referendum on the Domestic Partnership bill (House Bill 2007).

Am I just being paranoid in thinking that this all just plays a part in a bigger strategy of attempting to calm the Oregon Family Council's base? I mean they did get their folks in a frenzy around this legislation and now they have decided to not go for a referendum which is contrary to what they said they would probably end up doing if House Bill 2007 passed.

And not to beat a dead horse, but them doing a referendum, or even testifying against the bill is contrary to their prior public statements--like the following statements from the Oregon Family Council and the so-called "Defense of Marriage Coalition":

"Same-sex couples should seek marriage-like rights through another avenue, such as civil unions." Tim Nashif, Oregon Family Council Director and an organizer of the Measure 36 campaign, Bend Bulletin 8/20/2004

or

"If same-sex couples need legal protection, they should consult their legislative representatives. If they need legislation to do that, no one is going to stand in their way." Defense of Marriage Coalition Executive Director Mike White, Lincoln City News Guard 11/10/2004

Thoughts?

Labels: ballot measure, domestic partnership, HB 2007, house bill 2007, legislature, oregon, referendum

Done and done. Today, by a vote of 21-9 the Oregon Senate has voted to approve domestic partnerships for same-sex couples. Just weeks ago the Oregon Legislature passed a statewide anti-discrimination bill that includes sexual orientation and gender identity--becoming the 18th state to do so.

What an amazing day for all Oregonians.

Labels: anti-discrimination, domestic partnership, gay rights, HB 2007, legislature, oregon, SB 2

Tomorrow, the Oregon Senate plans to debate and vote on House Bill 2007, the Oregon Family Fairness Act. Already passed in the Oregon House and by a Senate Committee, HB 2007 would grants rights, responsponsibilities and protections currently only available via a marriage contract within the State of Oregon but with some limitations... about 1,143 of them.

Some of the limits of this legislation include:

No Portability: Unlike marriage, the protections afforded to a same-sex couple through a civil union are only available within the borders the state of Oregon. In other words, a same-sex couple traveling to another state or country will have none of the protections granted by civil unions.

No Federal Benefits: Unlike married couples, same-sex couples in a civil union gain no benefits under federal law, like filing of joint federal income taxes or entitlement to social security survivor benefits.

Residency Requirement: Unlike marriage, there is an Oregon state residency requirement to enter into a civil union.

Solemnization Unnecessary: Unlike marriage, a civil union is simply a civil contract, and does not require solemnization by a judicial officer, county clerk or member of the clergy.

Different Dissolution: Unlike dissolution of marriage (divorce), only Oregon courts can dissolve a civil union – regardless of where a couple seeking to “divorce” may live.

The other 1,138 rights, responsibilities and protections that come with marriage at the federal level are not available via Oregon's new Domestic Partnerships.

Labels: domestic partnership, HB 2007, legislature, oregon

In what will be the last vote on Oregon domestic parnterships benefits (House Bill 2007), this week should prove to be a pivotal moment in Oregon's hisotry. As a pioneer state, from the Beach Bill to the Bottle Bill, we're set to again make history. Upon the passage of the most comprehensive domestic partnership bill in the nation's history, Oregon will become the first state in the nation to pass any sort of relationship rights bill after passing a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.

Labels: HB 2007, legislature, oregon

To no surprise, Representative Richardson continues to sling disparaging remarks about the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community. In a recent press release he sent out regarding Basic Rights Oregon calling him out on his comparison between the massacre at Virginia Tech and the passage of Senate Bill 2 and House Bill 2007. He said, "It is regrettable that Basic Rights Oregon continues it's policy of providing misinformation to the public."

Ech hem.

A 'policy of misinformation' seems to be the standard protocol for Richardson's office. Whether comparing the GLBT community to smokers and drug addicts, or stating on the floor of the Oregon House that 'gays were more likely to commit crimes against children', it is painfully clear that his erroneous rhetoric is nothing but bigotry and completely uninformed.

For a man who claims to stand for pro-family values, he sure has no problem tossing thousands of Oregon families to the wolves--left to fend for themselves in times of extreme crisis.

As Oregon's Domestic Partnerships bill (HB 2007) heads to the Senate floor, I hope that all Senators are able to see through the fabrications of propaganda of which Rep. Richardson's blurred belief system in regards to gay and lesbians and their families.

As Basic Rights Oregon said in a recent their statement condemning Rep. Richardson's remarks, "While our nation mourns the unprecedented loss of life at Virginia Tech, and tries to recover from the enormity of this loss, Rep. Richardson makes a vulgar comparison insulting to not only Oregonians, but to those most deeply impacted by the massacre. For Richardson to say that protecting Oregon families in times of crisis is equivalent to the mass murder of some of the best and brightest America has to offer is beyond extremely distasteful--it is outright abhorrent."

BRO also said, "Oregonians know the value of being able to protect your family--and this bill directly reflects that long-held belief. Basic Rights Oregon is very optimistic that Oregon's Senators vote will in favor of basic fairness for all Oregon families, a value very much in step with the majority of Oregonians."

Enough said.

Labels: anti gay, basic rights oregon, discrimination, evangelical, gay rights, HB 2007, legislature, oregon

In a newsletter to his constituents, Oregon State Rep. Dennis Richardson (R - Central Point) made a statement comparing the horrific events at Virginia Tech to the Oregon House passing Senate Bill 2 (Anti-Discrimination) and House Bill 2007 (Domestic Partnerships).

This is surprisingly low--even for Rep. Richardson.

Here are his statements:

This past week has been like no other. On Monday the world witnessed the tragedy at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia. On Tuesday Oregon witnessed the passage of Domestic Benefits for same-sex couples (HB 2007) and Civil Rights based on sexual orientation. I will address each of these issues below and end will a postscript on last week’s Rachel story.

If that quote makes you feel the same way it made me feel, here is his office phone number in Salem: 503-986-1404 and his email rep.dennisrichardson@state.or.us.

Rep. Richardson owes Oregonians an apology.

Labels: anti gay, gay rights, HB 2007, oregon, republican, SB 2

Yesterday, Governor Chris Gregoire signed into law, legislation to give gay and lesbian couples some of the rights that come with marriage.

The domestic partnership bill will create a domestic partnership registry with the state, and provide enhanced rights for same-sex couples, including hospital visitation rights, the ability to authorize autopsies and organ donations and inheritance rights when there is no will.

To be registered, couples would have to share a home, not be married or in a domestic relationship with someone else, and be at least 18.

Now, California and Washington both have domestic partnership laws on the book. The two vary in the amount of rights given to those couples in the Domestic Partnership. Washington's give about a dozen rights and protections, whereas California's law is more expansive.

Oregon will soon be next on the short list of states that offer domestic partnerships benefits at a statewide level. Oregon's House Bill 2007 passed the Oregon House 34-26 this past week and is heading to the Oregon Senate shortly. This week Oregon also passed Senate Bill 2, The Oregon Equality Act, which will ban discrimination based on sexual orientation (GLBT or straight) in areas such as housing, employment, public accommodation and public education. The Governor has pledged to sign both bills when they reach his desk.

Labels: anti-discrimination, california, domestic partnership, gay rights, HB 2007, legislature, oregon, SB 2, washington

When the extremists aren't extreme enough. The crazies must step in. Today, I personally got a chance to witness the Oregon House votes on SB 2 and HB 2007. I also happened to be on my cell phone outside of the House Gallery while David Crowe of "Restore America" was also on his cell phone talking to a fellow extremist as they planned their next moves... meaning their next email.

Here it is...

House Defies the People of Oregon: Enshrines Another form of Marriage and Morality Into Oregon Law
April 17, 2007

LAKE OSWEGO, Oregon - By a vote of 34-26 along party lines, the Oregon House of Representatives Voted today to override the will of the Oregon people, instituting same sex marriage by another name, 'domestic partnerships,' formerly titled 'civil unions.'

With every House democrat and three republicans voting for the first of Governor Kulongoski's political payoff bills, the House defied the people of Oregon who clearly said in 2004 that they wanted marriage to be between a man and a woman only.

Installing Coerced Acceptance of Immoral Behavior
By a vote of 35 to 25 with the same three republicans and one more joining all the democrats, the House completely ignored the well reasoned, objective, and clearly demonstrated objections to the bill by House Republicans.
In effect, they ignored the wisdom of several millennia, basing their arguments not on facts, but anecdotal stories, even asserting that all the categories provided protections in SB 2 were biologically determined, when in fact there is not one shred of evidence to support their position.

In short it was a scene of the worst sort of obfuscation, assertion without facts, feelings without wisdom, and political chicanery you can imagine. Clearly, there was an agenda without factual support, and the democrats could not withstand the truth. So they ignored it for what they believed was political benefit, to them and their supporters.

What Now?
The people of Oregon deserve people in office who respect their wishes, not those of a small minority who wish to impose their morality upon others while forcing acquiescence by using the authority of human law, in disregard of God's Law.
Our next step in opposing these bills is a Referral to the people of Oregon. They have the right to approve or disapprove the actions of the legislature. And considering the clear disinterest of the democrat majority to honor the will of the people, that is what should be done.

Given the fact that the Oregon Family Council (OFC) has stated publicly that they do not intend to initiate a referral, Restore America will. Christians are commanded to love our neighbor, not just place sandbags around the church to the neglect of those we, and He, say He loves. We are to stand for Truth and Righteousness, and that we shall do.

55,179 valid signatures of registered voters is required to place the Referendum on the next General Election Ballot. These laws would not go into effect until 30 days after that election.

Please continue to read and forward our Updates, Alerts, and Commentaries. More details will follow in the next few days.

How Our Representatives Voted
My next email will outline how our representatives voted. For now, it is important to get this information to you as quickly as possible.

"In quietness and confidence shall be your strength." Isaiah 30:15
"Be not deceived, God is not mocked." Galatians 6:7
"If God be for us, who can be against us?" Romans 8:31
"We are more than conquerors through Him that loved us." Romans 8:37
"Arise therefore, and be doing, and the LORD be with thee." I Chronicles 22:16

David Crowe
Executive Director

So there you have it. Not only do you have your fill of Bible verses for the day, you also see that "Restore America" doesn't think that The Oregon Family Council is extreme enough and that SB 2 and HB 2007 will go to the ballot on "Restore America's" dime.

Labels: anti-discrimination, domestic partnership, HB 2007, oregon, referendum, SB 2

Today in the Oregon House, two major pro-equality bills passed.

Senate Bill 2, which would ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in situations like employment, housing and piblic accommodation passed the House in a vote of 35-25.

House Bill 2007, which would grant same-sex couples many of the rights currenly only available to straight married couples--via Domestic Partnerships--passed 34-26.

It is a great day for Oregon. A very great day.

To take a look back at Basic Rights Oregon's "live blogging" from the vote, click here.

-GS

Labels: anti-discrimination, basic rights oregon, discrimination, gay rights, HB 2007, legislature, oregon, SB 2

Tomorrow, House Bill 2007 and Senate Bill 2 will get their first chance in the Oregon House. Basic Rights Oregon says that they will have live blog coverage starting right before floor session (session starts at 10am) tomorrow. We'll put a link up as soon as they have it up.

Tomorrow shall prove to be one of the biggest day in queer rights history in Oregon--and this time for the good.

Good night all! Here is to a successful tomorrow! I am going to try and be there during the vote, just can't promise it.

-Gavin

Labels: basic rights oregon, domestic partnership, gay rights, HB 2007, legislature, oregon, SB 2