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State Rep. Dan Frankel (D-Allegheny) The Legislature this week only "scratched the surface" on same-sex marriage concerns raised about a proposed amendment to the Pennsylvania Constitution and several hearings are still needed on this issue. An amendment introduced as part of HB 2381, goes far beyond Pennsylvania's 10-year-old law banning recognition of same-sex marriage. The amendment also will ban civil unions, as well as domestic partner benefits for employees of state and local governments and state-funded universities. Conservative Republicans on the House State Government Committee sent it to the full House on March 15 by a 15-13 vote, without holding any hearings first. The more people learn about this amendment, the less they like it. That's why it's lost five co-sponsors, and that's probably why it was rushed out of committee. Something as serious and enduring as a constitutional amendment warrants a full airing before the full House takes even one vote. The limited informational meeting raised many questions and only scratched the surface. We did learn that many children could be denied good foster homes or adoptive families because of this amendment. We should have several hearings around the state on this. Many of the thousands of opposite-sex and same-sex couples who would be harmed by this amendment cannot take a day or two off to drive to Harrisburg. A similar amendment in Ohio continues to cause problems for prosecuting domestic violence cases, and the amendment here would likely interfere with basic protections such as inheritance rights and medical decision-making rights. We need to know more. Putting something in the constitution should be a last resort. It's purposefully difficult to amend the constitution because once something is added, the legislature can't just turn around and fix it by passing a new law in a few days or weeks. It takes years, sometimes decades, to fix a mistake in the constitution. It is the most precious legal document in the state, and provides greater protections than the U.S. Constitution in some cases. Our constitution isn't used to deny law-abiding people their rights, and we shouldn't start now. Because of the limited nature of the informational meeting, seniors and labor couldn't speak. Their voices and many others deserve to be heard before the full House takes even one vote. Carpenters have a saying: "Measure twice, cut once". As the lead sponsor of HB 1417, legislation that would allow unmarried partners in same-sex or opposite-sex relationships to make critical health decisions for one another and to visit each other in the hospital. A 2003 poll found 88 percent support in Pennsylvania for such legislation, and Maryland's Republican governor recently announced his support for a similar bill. If you need more information on this issue or would like to join our efforts, please contact my Harrisburg office at (717) 705-1875. CapNews Guest Speaker: Archives |
