There will be no popular vote on marriage equality in DC

The DC Court of Appeals, sitting en banc, ruled this morning in Jackson v. District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics that the marriage equality legislation enacted last year by the DC City Council is not a proper subject for the initiative or referendum process. That means there will be no popular vote on marriage equality in DC.The ruling was 5-4, but the specific subject of same-sex

Catholic Charities chooses worst option for complying with DC law...and pretends it has no choice

The long wait is over. Catholic Charities of Washington, DC has settled upon its response to the District of Columbia's approval of marriage for same-sex couples. Effective tomorrow, its employees will no longer be able to add a spouse to employee health benefit coverage. Spouses who are currently covered will continue to be covered. Catholic Charities describes its response as "necessary to

Catholic Charities of DC President questioned on Kojo Nnamdi

The President and CEO of Catholic Charities of Washington DC, Ed Orzechowski, appeared on the Kojo Nnamdi Show last week. You want to listen to this show. I had the opportunity to call in, but even before taking my question and comments on the air, Kojo pressed his guest on his agency's policies, asking him repeatedly if his agency's policies were already in violation of DC non-discrimination law

The Catholic Church's red herring #2

Yesterday I wrote that legislation allowing same-sex marriage will have no impact on the issue of the church's provision of foster care and adoption services, because providing those services is already subject to DC's antidiscrimination laws.The church makes one other claim: that they will be forced to include same-sex spouses on their employee benefit plans. That, too, is a red herring. The

The Catholic Church's red herring

To hear the Catholic Church tell it, if same-sex couples can marry in DC they will have to stop providing social services here. At least that's their threat, as reported earlier this week in the Washington Post. I heard the same thing at the October 26 committee hearing. Their representative said the marriage equality bill would "hurt the people who count on Catholic Charities." (To view the

DC City Council committee passes marriage equality bill and preserves domestic partnerships

Here's Rick Rosendall's excellent coverage of the 4-1 vote in the DC City Council Commitee on Public Safety and the Judiciary approving the marriage equality legislation. As indicated in my previous post, the bill deletes the provision "sunseting" domestic partnerships.The language on domestic partnerships in the final Committee Report is even stronger than that in the draft. (changed language in

D.C. City Council committee recommends retaining domestic partnerships

The DC City Council Committee on Public Safety and the Judiciary today marks up the bill authorizing same-sex marriage in the District of Columbia. I'm happy to report that Committee Chair Phil Mendelson is recommending preservation of domestic partnership. The draft of the Committee Report on the subject says as follows:Domestic partnerships have been and remain available to opposite-sex

Voting on marriage equality in DC

The hearing on marriage equality in DC continues today before the City Council Committee on Public Safety and the Judiciary. Last week there were theatrics by those opposing marriage equality, but there was also a common theme. They want the people to vote. That theme continues today.Under DC law, however, human rights matters are not subject to popular vote. So opponents asked for an “

It's looking good for removing the domestic partner "sunset" provision from the DC marriage equality bill

If I were a betting woman, I'd say there will be no mention of ending domestic partnership in the marriage equality bill that goes through the DC City Council.The first panel of witnesses at yesterday's hearing on marriage equality in DC included Bob Summersgill and Rick Rosendall, the two people most responsible for strengthening the domestic partnership laws in DC during this decade. Both

Several witnesses will urge DC to retain domestic partnerships

Hearings on the bill to grant marriage equality in the District of Columbia begin today. So many people signed up to testify that the Committee on Public Safety and the Judiciary, chaired by Councilmember Phil Mendelson, has already announced that it will hear the first 100 today and the remaining ones next Monday.I am number 49 on the list and so I will be testifying today. Naturally, I support

District of Columbia publishes list of registered relationships from elsewhere that will be recognized as domestic partnerships

Last year's expansion of the District of Columbia's domestic partnership laws included a provision requiring DC to recognize as domestic partnerships those relationships registered elsewhere that are "substantially similar" to domestic partnerships in DC. The law required the Mayor to certify which relationships from elsewhere fall into this category. Well, the Mayor took his time, but today the

Now is not the time to eliminate domestic partnership in the District of Columbia

The bill authorizing same-sex marriages in the District of Columbia contains a disturbing additional provision that has gotten little attention. It eliminates any new domestic partnerships as of January 1, 2011. I don’t know why Councilmember David Catania wrote this into the legislation, but I do hope he will reconsider in light of the history of domestic partnership in DC and its eligibility

In DC, we don't put civil rights up for a vote

Maybe you know that DC is a colony. Congress can write our laws if it wants to. We have no voting representation in Congress. Our license plates say "taxation without representation."But we know that civil rights for the minority should never be put to the vote of the majority. (Remember that Congress can change our laws whenever it wants, and it has wanted to in the past, but with a Democratic

DC City Council votes 12-1 to recognize same-sex marriages from elsewhere

Congress will soon be thinking about same-sex marriage, whether we or they like it or not. The DC City Council today passed Bill 18-10 which requires the District of Columbia to recognize the validity of same-sex marriages that are valid where performed. The bill goes to the desk of Mayor Adrian Fenty, who will sign it, and from there to Congress for the mandatory 30-day legislative period during