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| Gay Marriage Debate and defend your political beliefs as to whether or not marriage should be only defined as a union between a man and a woman. |
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10-31-2007, 10:36 AM
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| Partisan   Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: New Haven, CT Gender:  Posts: 7,986 Country: 
  |  Bravo to R.I. Legislators! RI Lawmakers Override Domestic Partner Veto Posted: October 31, 2007 - 11:00 am ET (Providence, Rhode Island) Rhode Island's General Assembly has overridden the veto of legislation providing the domestic partners of public employees with the same pension and retirement benefits as spouses. It was one of nearly three-dozen vetoes lawmakers overturned in a one-day special session. When he rejected the domestic partner bill Gov. Don Carcieri said the public did not want "unwarranted and unnecessary expansions of state employee benefits." The legislation includes all employees with pensions managed through the Employee Retirement System of RI – teachers, judges, and other state and municipal employees. Two qualify, partners must have lived together for one year and be financially interdependent. "With this override, the General Assembly has sent a clear message: all public employees should be treated fairly, and deserve equal benefits for equal work," said Jenn Steinfeld, Director of Marriage Equality Rhode Island. Steinfeld noted, however that the bill falls far short of full marriage equality. "We encourage the General Assembly to demonstrate their concern for Rhode Island families by passing equal marriage legislation," she said. Earlier this year a House committee held public hearings into three separate bills that would recognize in varying ways same-sex relationships with only one offering marriage but none of the bills has advanced. This month the state Supreme Court heard arguments in case involving divorce for same-sex couples. The case involves Margaret R. Chambers and Cassandra B. Ormiston who were married in Massachusetts in 2004. The marriage was never recognized in their home state of Rhode Island. Last year the women filed for divorce in Providence, citing "irreconcilable differences". Rhode Island has no specific law banning same-sex marriage. But the Chief Family Court Judge Jeremiah S. Jeremiah Jr. said he did knot know if he could rule without taking up the issue of marriage and asked the Supreme Court justices to determine if he has the authority to hear the case. (story) The high court limited arguments solely to the issue of divorce, leaving marriage for same-sex couples in limbo. (story) *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Conservatism: Self-centered mean-spiritedness fueled by ignorance and misguided self-importance. Bigotry is a social disease. Legalized same-sex marriage almost certainly benefits those same-sex couples who choose to marry, as well as the children being raised in those homes. - David Blankenhorn is president of the New York-based Institute for American Values and the author of "The Future of Marriage." | |||||||||||||||||||||
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