spazeboy

There is some good news on the marriage equality front today: The California Supreme Court has ruled in favor of full marriage equality. Connecticut currently has a separate but unequal civil union status for same-sex couples that gives them some of the legal protections provided by the state government, but not over a thousand legal protections at the federal level.

Today’s good news did not go unnoticed by Love Makes a Family, which is working toward marriage equality in Connecticut. Love Makes a Family director Anne Stanback issued a statement today:

Today’s win energizes our work in Connecticut more than ever. We await a decision in our own marriage case, Kerrigan and Mock v. the Connecticut Department of Public Health. And our advocacy, lobbying, and educational efforts continue intensely around the state-this weekend alone, we will co-sponsor a faith forum on marriage equality in Danbury, and our organizers will be collecting signed postcards to legislators in West Hartford, Brookfield, New Britain, and Danbury.

California’s highest court did its job today and ensured all Californians are treated equally under the law. We look forward to the day when we can say the same for Connecticut, and, with your help, we will break down the door of marriage discrimination in this state. And that day is coming very soon.

The Connecticut Supreme Court heard arguments in the Kerrigan case last year and has yet to rule. The court does not have a timeline in which it must rule, and although a decision is expected soon, it could occur with less than one day’s notice.

But Love Makes a Family is planning for that as yet unknown day anyway. They’re calling it Decision Day and in light of the California decision it may in fact be coming very soon. If you want to get an e-mail as soon as Love Makes a Family learns of a decision forthcoming, and participate in the rally (and if the decision is favorable, the party!) later that day, be sure and sign up for their Decision Day mailing list.

The race in Connecticut’s 4th Congressional District is finally heating up after the Republican and Democratic nominating conventions, with experts saying that it’s going to be a barnburner. What do you think?

Actually, there is a news source — less reputable than The Onion though it may be — that cares what you think about the race in the 4th CD. The Greenwich Time asks in its May 14 daily poll:

Will Greenwich Democrat Jim Himes beat incumbent Republican Chris Shays for the 4th District Congressional seat?

Click on over to the Greenwich Time and give them your answer.

Yesterday at midnight marked the end of the 2008 General Assembly session (the “short session”) and one of the bills that passed the Senate but did not even have a chance in the House was the Paid Sick Days Bill. Christine Stuart reports at CT News Junkie:

A bill that would allow workers to accumulate one hour of paid sick time for every 40 hours worked died Wednesday night.

The Paid Sick Days bill passed the senate, but was stalled for the second year in a row on the House calendar. Sen. Edith Prague, D-Columbia, who championed the bill, said its defeat was making her sick.

“It’s dead,” she said as the clock approached midnight. “Next year.”

The fact that the General Assembly turns into a pumpkin at midnight, on a day known well in advance to all involved, every goddamn year is a problem. It’s a problem because good legislation like the Paid Sick Days bill gets left aside, as if waiting another year is just a minor inconvenience for people like Suely (in the above video). The Paid Sick Days bill was especially important at a time like this, because it’s already costly enough to live — high gas prices raising the price of a great many of life’s necessities, not to mention gas for commuting to work — without being able to afford to take one day off if you’re sick. Now more than ever, working sick is going to be a necessity because if you couldn’t afford to take a day off before, you sure as hell can’t now.

I know that this shit happens every year in Connecticut. But the fact that good bills being killed by the clock is an annual event doesn’t make it any less disappointing. I also know that the General Assembly is made up almost entirely of people who really care about Connecticut and the people of their district. So why are so many important bills left until the last minute?

Because it’s an effective way to kill bills like this without getting your hands dirty. Especially in an election year.

Two time challenger to Chris Shays in Connecticut’s 4th Congressional District, Diane Farrell, endorsed Jim Himes yesterday. Enthusiastically:

Farrell described Himes as a man “with his finger on the pulse of the needs of families” who “understands the needs of the district.” Noting Himes’ involvement at the local level, as well as his support of her own runs for congress, Farrell praised Himes’ “important work for families in this area.”

Farrell added, “Jim Himes will be a superb member of Congress. I enthusiastically stand in support of Jim.”

_{Unrelated Pharrell video. Enjoy!}

Happy fifth anniversary of the end of major combat operations in Iraq, I guess. MoveOn.org Political Action is highlighting the anniversary with a cake:

Jim Himes spoke today about the impact of the past five years in Iraq on the 4th CD:

“Five years later, it is clear that George Bush and Chris Shays have no plan to get us out of Iraq,” said Himes. “This war has cost our district alone more than $3.1 billion, or $4,700 of per household. The runaway spending on Iraq has meant that critical missions here at home are not accomplished. Imagine what we could accomplish if we invested this money where it is most needed. We should be investing in improving our schools, moving us towards energy independence, and creating a health care system that works for everyone.”

The war costs an unimaginable amount of money when you look at the total numbers, and the costs are still unimaginable at the district or even city level.

In the 4th CD where the war has cost $4,700 per household, that’s nearly $1000 per household per year.

How much is your stimulus rebate? Not enough to pay for your share of the war, I know that. And I contend that if half the money spent on this war were spent on accomplishing the missions at home mentioned by Jim Himes that the economy in which we find ourselves today would not be taking a turn for the worse.

I learned via a diary by EquationDoc over at MLN that the New Britain Common Council voted 13-2 on a resolution condemning the War in Iraq:

WHEREAS, The New Britain Common Council expresses its deep opposition to the Bush Administration’s continuation of the war in Iraq after its mendacious and deceptive methods of garnering initial support; and

WHEREAS, the City of New Britain relies heavily on Federal money to provide services to its residents; and

WHEREAS, The United States Congress has appropriated over $400 billion to fund military operations and Iraqi reconstruction, while a steady decline in Federal Housing and Urban Development grants has been experienced since 2002, the year before the war began.

The resolution was drafted by Eva Magnuszewski, one of the newly elected New Britain alderman in last year’s election. Rick Guinness reports on this week’s common council meeting for the NB Herald:

Magnuszewski’s resolution — amended to cast equal blame on President Bush and Congress for starting and funding the war — estimated the city’s portion of paying for the war at $204 million. “All politics is local,” Magnuszewski said, quoting former U.S. Speaker of the House Thomas P. “Tip” O’Neill. “The war is unraveling — in money, international relations and human lives.”

Hat tip to EquationDoc for posting about this at MLN, which called my attention to it.