Many Sammamish lawmakers support gay marriage
January 25, 2012
By Caleb Heeringa
State Sen. Andy Hill (R-45) has yet to announce his position
State Sen. Andy Hill says he remains undecided on the issue of gay marriage though two of his Republican counterparts on the Eastside have thrown their support behind a measure that would grant homosexuals the right to marry.
Hill represents the northern edge of Sammamish, and after the redistricting process is complete in November is poised to represent the northern half of the city.
Sen. Cheryl Pflug, who currently represents most of Sammamish as part of the 5th Legislative District, and Sen. Steve Litzow, who represents the 41st District, which will cover the south end of the city in November, have both come out in support of Senate Bill 6239. The measure redefines marriage as a civil contract between “two people” rather than “a man and a woman.”
That makes them the only two Republican state senators currently supporting the measure. An informal Jan. 11 tally by the Associated Press put the measure within three votes of passing the Senate, with nine senators undecided. Two more legislators have made public statements in favor of the measure since then.
Hill, a Republican who represents the 45th District, said in an interview that he remains on the fence. He said he is discussing the issue with constituents.
“It’s a really big deal to a lot of people on both sides of the issue,” Hill said.
Hill said he was particularly concerned that the bill’s redefinition of marriage would mean religious institutions might be sued for refusing to marry two homosexuals.
“I want to make sure there are protections for religious institutions in there,” he said. “What existing protections do we have?”
As written, the bill states: “No official of any religious denomination or nonprofit institution authorized to solemnize marriages may be required to solemnize any marriage in violation of his or her right to free exercise of religion guaranteed by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution or by the Washington state Constitution.”
As of Jan. 23, 25 senators had announced that they plan to support the bill, enough to guarantee its passage. Once the bill is approved by both houses of the Legislature, it will become law without a statewide vote. Gov. Chris Gregoire (D) is also in support of the measure. If passed, the bill would be subject to a referendum to overturn it, if opponents of gay marriage can muster the support to place it on the ballot.
The measure is widely expected to pass the House. Rep. Rep. Glenn Anderson (R-5) also recently threw his support behind gay marriage.
Anderson, who is running for Lieutenant Governor in November, called homosexuality a “normal, if much less frequent, genetic expression of human biology” and.said he did not foresee religious institutions being legally forced to perform gay marriages against their belief systems.
“In my view, civil same-sex marriage does not undermine the right of individuals to freely choose association with religious organizations that seek to encourage traditional marriage values with which they agree,” Anderson said in a press release. “Neither does it obstruct the ability to practice the values of religious marriage, either individually or with like-minded persons.”
King County Councilmen Reagan Dunn (R) and Bob Ferguson (D) both of whom are running for Attorney General in November both support the measure.
A group of major employers, including Microsoft (Hill’s former employer), Vulcan, Nike, RealNetworks, Group Health Cooperative and Concur also announced their support for the measure.
Reach Reporter Caleb Heeringa at cheeringa@isspress.com or 392-6434, ext. 247.
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It is not often that I get to say Thanks to my Republican representatives for a vote, but this is definitely an occasion! THANK you to Rep. Cheryl Pflug, Rep. Steve Litzow, Rep. Glenn Anderson, Councilman Dunn and Councilman Ferguson for your support for SB6239.
Come on Sen. Hill, get on the correct side of history, and join us for this important vote for equality!