Monday, March 09, 2009

Is there a Secret Plot to Pass SB 68?

The Kentucky Equality Federation, a state gay rights group, criticizes the Senate Judiciary Committee for hearing Senate Bill 68 in an impromptu meeting last Friday:
Senate Bill 68 - We all knew it would pass the Senate Committee if it came to a vote. We also know it can pass the Senate without any problem. It passed unanimously in Committee today, with only the Family Foundation of Kentucky testifying in support of it; no one was present to oppose it. Why? Apparently this was a secret meeting, or one called at the last minute from the way I understand it.

The truth is that even if representatives from Kentucky Equality Federation or any other LGBTI organization had been present, we likely would not have been allowed to speak. I've been at the Capitol before when management of Kentucky Fairness Alliance wanted to testify about some anti-gay legislation and the Senate Committee would not hear any of us.
Well, for one thing is it wasn't a secret meeting. It was perfectly public. And the fact that no one from the Kentucky Equality Federation "or any other LGBTI organization" was present didn't have anything to do with skullduggery (the committee didn't give The Family Foundation any notice either). It probably had something to do with the committee chair being out sick for several days last week.

It also undoubtedly had to do with the fact that the Equality Federation didn't have its ear to the ground and The Family Foundation did. It isn't the Judiciary Committee's job to do the Kentucky Equality Federation's lobbying work for them. If they want to be effective in Frankfort, then they need to do the hard work it takes and stop blaming their failures on other people.

And if the conspiracy theorists like those at the Kentucky Equality Federation are right about the Secret Plot to Pass SB 68, then why did the committee leave the bill until the end of the second to the last week of the session, leaving it precious little time to pass?

2 comments:

Kentucky's Gay Politics said...

Next time place a disclosure on the blog that reads WARNING RIGHT-WING DOGMA BELOW BY CONTINUING TO READ YOU AGREE TO BE BRAINWASHED BY THE RIGHT-WING.

Anonymous said...

whatever to the person that made the last comment, children should be in stable homes.