Thursday, May 20, 2004
Updates
Some updates on yesterday's posts:
Church day camp: The Priest Lake Community Baptist Church yesterday obeyed the court order to allow Dept. of Human Services staff to inspect the premises. DHS stands by their contention that the day camp is an unlicensed day care center, and that the armed guards are violating a prohibition against weapons in childcare facilities, while church officials are adamant that they are merely holding church services and should not be required to be licensed, and that the armed guards are necessary to protect the facilities from vandals and other criminals. A hearing will be held today on the issue.
Mass. marriage law: While Gov. Romney and his staff stick by the "we can't pick which laws to enforce" as support for their extreme efforts to enforce a law no one (including Romney) saw worth enforcing until it meant letting out of state gay couples get married here, the state Senate yesterday voted 28 to 3 (5 of 7 Republican senators voted to repeal) to repeal the statute in question. House speaker Thomas Finneran has expressed his conviction that the repeal (part of the budget package) will not pass the House. Romney has committed to vetoing any such repeal if it comes to him for signature.
In a spin worthy of Orwell, the governor's communication director, Eric Fehrnstrom (you remember him - the gays, guns and children guy) has interpreted the Senate's overwhelming vote as reinforcement of the concept that the law is on the books and must be enforced without question until such a repeal might come into effect.
Meanwhile, GLAD (who handled the Goodridge case and subsequent efforts to reverse or vacate the decision) has posted a notice on their website requesting that couples from CT, RI, NH, ME, VT or NY who have filed for marriage licenses here or are planning to in the near future contact GLAD. The group is preparing for any court action that might be necessary should the governor attempt to use the 1913 law to invalidate or block out of state marriages.
Angel series finale and Enterprise season finale: Tivo recorded them. I have not yet watched them. Viewing is scheduled for later today.
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Church day camp: The Priest Lake Community Baptist Church yesterday obeyed the court order to allow Dept. of Human Services staff to inspect the premises. DHS stands by their contention that the day camp is an unlicensed day care center, and that the armed guards are violating a prohibition against weapons in childcare facilities, while church officials are adamant that they are merely holding church services and should not be required to be licensed, and that the armed guards are necessary to protect the facilities from vandals and other criminals. A hearing will be held today on the issue.
Mass. marriage law: While Gov. Romney and his staff stick by the "we can't pick which laws to enforce" as support for their extreme efforts to enforce a law no one (including Romney) saw worth enforcing until it meant letting out of state gay couples get married here, the state Senate yesterday voted 28 to 3 (5 of 7 Republican senators voted to repeal) to repeal the statute in question. House speaker Thomas Finneran has expressed his conviction that the repeal (part of the budget package) will not pass the House. Romney has committed to vetoing any such repeal if it comes to him for signature.
In a spin worthy of Orwell, the governor's communication director, Eric Fehrnstrom (you remember him - the gays, guns and children guy) has interpreted the Senate's overwhelming vote as reinforcement of the concept that the law is on the books and must be enforced without question until such a repeal might come into effect.
Meanwhile, GLAD (who handled the Goodridge case and subsequent efforts to reverse or vacate the decision) has posted a notice on their website requesting that couples from CT, RI, NH, ME, VT or NY who have filed for marriage licenses here or are planning to in the near future contact GLAD. The group is preparing for any court action that might be necessary should the governor attempt to use the 1913 law to invalidate or block out of state marriages.
Angel series finale and Enterprise season finale: Tivo recorded them. I have not yet watched them. Viewing is scheduled for later today.
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Posted by Rogueslayer at 9:07 AM 
