[statecom-discuss] Green-Rainbow Party Press Release: GRP leaders respond to Constitutional Convention

[Colby Peterson]

Green-Rainbows say legislators violated oath of office and constitution
Legislators pass discrimination and violate law by killing health  
care amendment

CONTACT:
Colby Peterson, Communications Director (contact for all inquiries)
communications.director at green-rainbow.org
saphron at verizon.net
978-895-0650

Luc Schuster, Co-chair
Wendy Van Horne, Co-chair
Grace Ross, 2006 GRP candidate for Governor

Green-Rainbow Party (GRP) leaders responded to the results of  
Tuesday's constitutional convention in Massachusetts, saying that  
legislators had "failed to fulfill their oath of office, violated the  
clear instructions of the Supreme Judicial Court (SJC), and trounced  
upon the rights of the people in favor of corporate interests."

GRP co-chair Luc Schuster described the sentiment after the  
convention, "Many people were disgusted by what they saw today. In  
two decisions, the legislature voted against our right to marry,  
against our rights as citizens to amend the constitution, and against  
our right to health care. The people needed the constitution to  
protect us today against the powerful, but today it did not because  
the legislature that swore to uphold it chose their corporate funders  
over their constitutional duties." The GRP has long supported efforts  
to maintain equal marriage rights in Massachusetts, including being  
the only political party that requires its candidates for public  
office to support equal marriage prior to nomination.

Two amendments were considered at the constitutional convention.

The first amendment, one that would change existing marriage laws in  
Massachusetts by excluding same-sex couples, was voted on and passed  
today in its first joint-legislative session and constitutional  
convention, and requires passage in a second joint-legislative  
session, where if it does, will require passage by statewide ballot  
in 2008 where it would amend the constitution.

The second amendment, one that would enshrine the right to affordable  
and equitably financed health care for all residents in the state  
constitution, was not voted upon because the motion to release it  
from committee did not pass. Late in December, the Supreme Judicial  
Court (SJC) ruled in a law-suit filed by supporters of the health  
care amendment, without consultation of the equal-marriage  
supporters, that the legislature must vote on the merits of both  
amendments. The vote on the merits of the health care amendment never  
happened.

GRP co-chair Wendy Van Horne, responded, saying, "the SJC was clear  
that the legislature must vote on the merits of the amendments, we  
are disappointed with the results of the vote on equal marriage, and  
will be there to defeat it when it comes up again, but the vote on  
the health care amendment never even happened, and that's  
unconstitutional and directly circumvents the instructions of the SJC."

The amendment, which if passed today would have gone to the 2008  
ballot, is now officially dead. Van Horne, who also works as a  
registered nurse, called it "a missed opportunity" by the legislature  
to easily help "pass a popular referendum that would dramatically  
help every resident of the commonwealth."

Seconds after the amendment died and before adjourning, the  
legislature broke out in cheers and applause, recognizing outgoing  
legislators.

Grace Ross, recent GRP candidate for governor, also identified steps  
for moving forward, "Delaying the opportunity for real universal  
health care hurts, but today is also an opportunity- we know that  
protecting human rights, whether it be for marriage or health care,  
is not done and cannot be done in a vacuum. We need to all come  
together and demand a better government and a better life- we need to  
demand and fight for what's good for everybody. If we can work  
collectively to achieve what we want, then the uncertainty and insane  
outcomes that we witnessed today will fade away. The Green-Rainbow  
Party invites all of its coalition partners to be part of that  
movement that is working to transform our world into the place we  
need it to be."

The anti-marriage amendment will be considered again, possibly later  
this year, in a second joint-legislative session. The Green-Rainbow  
Party has vowed to remain an advocate for equal marriage rights and  
will support all constitutional means to defeat the amendment and any  
others that remove rights in the future.

[END]