[lavender] Fwd: July State Committee Meeting Proposal Page Online

[Owen Broadhurst]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Owen Broadhurst <owen.broadhurst at gmail.com>
Date: Jun 17, 2005 4:51 PM
Subject: Re: July State Committee Meeting Proposal Page Online
To: locals at green-rainbow.org, State Committee Official Business
<statecom at green-rainbow.org>


The following proposal has been posted. Co-sponsors are needed.

http://tinyurl.com/88osw

Green-Rainbow Party Plan for the Protection of Equal Marriage Rights
in Massachusetts
Friday June 17, @04:48PM, by Owen R. Broadhurst (on behalf of Mr.
Colby Peterson)
Subject : Equal Marriage Rights Mobilization
from the n/a dept.
Summary :
This proposal was first submitted as a floor proposal to the State
Convention by Mr. Colby Peterson. I am resubmitting it as a proposal
to StateCom, and am a sponsor. The language of the proposal as drafted
by Mr. Peterson is below - while background and summary text authored
by Mr. Peterson now follows:

Background:

Since the landmark decision in 2004 by the Massachusetts Supreme
Judicial Court (SJC) to allow same-sex marriage in Massachusetts,
there has been a legislative push and debate in the Massachusetts
General Assembly and by the general population to amend the state
constitution to restrict the marriage rights of same-sex couples and/
or redefine them as "civil unions," or lesser. Many non-partisan
interest groups have come out on both sides of the issue. However the
baehavior of the political parties has been inconsistent. Most
Republicans are for the current amendment or for the use of stronger
language that removes marriage and civil unions altogether, while
Democrats are not clearly united on the issue with their own
presidential candidate declaring that their support for equal marriage
in Massachusetts was a poor decision. The Libertarians are also
splintered on this issue, some believing that marriage licenses should
not exist at all. The Green-Rainbow Party is the only official state
political party that has a positive, clear, and consistent stance on
the civil rights of same-sex couples, yet we have yet as a party to
take an action on the issue other than a post-decision written
statement.

The Challenge:

This is the pivotal year for action on this issue. The amendment with
the proposed language change to "civil unions" has already been
confirmed once by the General Assembly. If it is confirmed again, it
will go to voters for final approval on the ballot. The clock is
ticking on the already thousands of existing same-sex marriages in
this Commonwealth, and the Green-Rainbow Party must be active in
defending those rights. This issue is an opportunity the Green-Rainbow
Party cannot remain silent on any longer, and cannot afford to miss.
We have a legacy of diversity and acceptance in our party, and from
the beginning have supported equal civil rights. It is certainly time
to show that actions are greater than words.
Text :
Upon the ratification or confirmation of this proposal by the
Green-Rainbow Party (GRP) State Committee, the GRP is directed to form
an "Equal Marriage Rights Task Force" which shall actively investigate
and then act on ways to:

1) Protect the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC)decision by
maintaining the current status of marriage in the Commonwealth by
working with non-partisan groups, independently, and through other
methods devised by this group, all under the partisan banner for the
GRP.

2) Develop educational literature for the general public and internal
literature for the party membership concerning the stance of the
party, the actions we intend to take on them, and the legitimacy of
the SJC's decision.

3) Raise awareness and public profile of the GRP's position and
actions in the public consciousness and imagination.

* The task for ce shall be able to freely add to the above list as it
sees fit, but shall not subtract from it, unless it first receives
approval from the State Committee.

* The task force shall work through the existing infrastructure of the
party to achieve the above goals.

* The task force shall have the freedom to schedule meetings at its discretion.

* The task force shall report its progress to the State Committee and
to the Administrative Committee regularly.

Also upon ratification or confirmation of this proposal, the GRP,
through the appopriate infrastructure, shall make a public declaration
(as it sees fit) of the formation of the task force stating its goals
and its calls for volunteers to staff the task force.

Through this proposal, we will protect equal marriage rights in
Massachusetts and hopefully increase the public image and credibility
of the GRP.