In May of 2009 A Note from Dan Savage was sent … and a warning against Ref71, stating :
We need to take a stand for equality.
All of us. In Washington, committed same-sex couples and their families now enjoy the same legal protections granted to married couples under state law. The radical right just filed a referendum—Referendum 71—to repeal many of those protections and benefits.
In Washington, today, we need everyone who believes in equality to take a stand for civil rights and decline to sign the Referendum 71 petitions. Especially straight people.
Everyone.
Yes, a lot has been done since then but in this year of 2011
Washington State is still a few votes away from marriage
equality. However, with news that the NYC State Senate approved gay
marriage the article below offers hope for the people of Washington State
to finally move into the 21st century. I have to say the thing that came to my
mind is how much revenue NYC is about to see in the next few weeks, months and
years. It will be incredible for those in the Wedding Business as well as
anything associated. It is just one more state that is willing to see that old
habits can die because our youth just do not see life, love, and equality as
something that should only be legal for a select few. I think equality is a
right not a privilege and while some folks are slow, others should know that
they have to separate church from state and act according. Anyway, the article
below is from the SeattlePI blog
State sen.: Gay marriage in Wash. ‘closer to reality’
One of the architects of a law that gave broad rights to same-sex couples in Washington state says New York’s recognition of gay marriage will make it easier to pass similar legislation in the Evergreen State.
Late Friday the New York state Senate approved a gay marriage bill, which Gov. Andrew Cuomo is expected to sign. New York will become the sixth and largest state to recognize marriages between gay couples.
State Sen. Ed Murray, D-Seattle, said in a statement that New York provides “momentum for the rest of the nation, including Washington, to follow suit.
“Over the past several years, the Legislature and the public together have been steadily building a bridge to equality for gay and lesbian families. Gay and lesbian families in Washington now enjoy the same state spousal rights that their married straight friends enjoy – except for the name ‘marriage’. Though we have yet to realize full marriage equality, with today’s vote that goal seems more achievable than it was yesterday and closer to reality than ever before.”
Murray helped pass Washington state’s original domestic partnership law in 2007, which provided inheritance rights in cases where there was no will, hospital visitation rights, the ability to authorize autopsies and organ donations.
In 2009, Murray and Rep. Jamie Pedersen, D-Seattle, were among the main proponents of the “everything but marriage” bill that passed the Legislature, greatly expanding the rights of same-sex couples to include things like workers’ compensation coverage, the right to use sick leave to care for a spouse, victims’ rights, including the right to receive notifications and benefits allowances. Business succession rights and legal process rights, such as the ability to sign certain documents, the requirement to join in certain petitions, rights to cause of action, and ability to transfer licenses without charge.
FUSE …Together for Progress
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Rob McKenna’s $5.76 Billion Education Plan Flunks Basic MathIn his campaign announcement last Wednesday, Rob McKenna proposed $5.76 billion in new spending but left voters in the dark about how he would pay for it. He’s even relying on budget projections he repeatedly criticized just two months ago.
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Rob McKenna: A Career Fighting Against ProgressRob McKenna has announced his candidacy for Governor of our state, and we believe he would roll back years of progress that we’ve worked for in Washington. He has established a clear track record of rewarding conservative corporate interests and pandering to Tea Party extremists, all while trying to sound like a moderate in public. Check out our rapid response video exposing McKenna’s conservative record.
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2011 Legislature: What happened?After nearly five months of regular and special session, the state Legislature finally passed a budget late last week and adjourned for the year. We’re not going to sugarcoat things – it was a very tough session. As progressives, we definitely took our lumps, especially on the budget. But we also generated real hope for the future with a powerful, sustained wave of grassroots energy and an impressive level of collaboration among progressive groups. And we helped pass a few other sweet bills that make the budget a little easier to swallow. Click here for the rundown on some key legislation from this year.
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Workers deserve paid sick leave!The Seattle City Council is considering an ordinance that would give every worker the right to take sick leave without sacrificing wages. Workers would earn leave that could be used for preventative care, for sick days, or to care for a family member. Businesses also benefit from healthier, happier, more productive employees. Let the City Council and the Mayor know that you support paid sick leave! Click here to send a mesage!
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Keep Eastside light rail moving forward!Fuse members overwhelmingly supported light rail on the Eastside and are ready to campaign for it. People in Kirkland, Redmond, Issaquah, Mercer Island, Sammamish, Renton, Seattle, and dozens of other cities will benefit from this critical transit hub. And taking thousands of cars off the road every day will lead to healthier neighborhoods for all of us. Click here to sign our petition to the Bellevue City Council telling them to keep our communities moving forward with light rail!
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Tell Rob McKenna: Not in Washington!Attorney General Rob McKenna called unionization of teachers, firefighters, and other public employees unnecessary and “dangerous.” And last year he tried to block a voter-approved minimum wage increase. McKenna is the poster child for union busting conservatives and big corporations here in Washington, and his clear goal is to be our next governor. Click here to sign our petition calling on Rob McKenna to stop attacking working families!
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LivingGreedy: The best deals on closing tax loopholes, guaranteedWe’ve launched a fun new website called LivingGreedy.com to turn the table on greedy special interests, and to show exactly which essential services we could save by closing their loopholes.
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How are we doing? Take our survey!2010 has been quite a year. As we develop our plans and priorities for 2011, we want to know what you’d like to see us do in the upcoming year, and would like your feedback on what we’ve done well and what we can improve on. |
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