House Republicans plan to force votes on gay marriage, other issues
By Alison Knezevich
Staff writer Feb 22, 2010
www.sundaygazettemail.com
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — State Republican delegates say they’re tired of waiting on Democratic legislative leaders to open debate on issues like gay marriage and certain tax breaks.
House Republicans plan a series of procedural motions this week to force floor votes on proposals they say Democrats have allowed to die in committees. Those include a resolution (HJR5) that calls for a statewide referendum on whether to amend the constitution to define marriage, and a proposal (HJR104) to boost tax breaks for elderly and disabled people.
“We have tried to work through the process, and now the time is running out,” House Minority Leader Tim Armstead, R-Kanawha, said at a press conference Monday.
Democrats outnumber Republicans 71 to 29 in the House, and the GOP strategy started unsuccessfully Monday. At the House floor session, Delegate Patrick Lane, R-Kanawha, moved to discharge the tax-break resolution, but the House postponed consideration of the move.
In a press release issued last week, state Democratic Chairman Nick Casey accused Republicans of “political grandstanding.”
“The Republicans only seem to want to score election year points by trying to force debates and votes on issues like gay marriage,” he said. “The people of [West Virginia] expect Republican and Democratic legislators not to waste a week of legislative time and taxpayer money on politics.”
Casey pointed to an existing state law that prohibits the state from recognizing gay marriages performed elsewhere.
Armstead said West Virginians expect their leaders to “stand up” on issues.
The Republican strategy is “about free and open debate on important issues,” he said.
Last year, House Republicans tried to force a floor vote on the gay-marriage issue, but Democrats blocked their attempts.
On Monday, Armstead told his colleagues he would again try to bring the issue to the floor.
“If we don’t pass this legislation, we will basically be saying that we choose to allow the courts, rather than the people, to decide how marriage will be defined in our state,” he said.
One group that is pushing hard for a constitutional amendment on marriage says it disapproves of forcing a vote on the House floor.
In a press release, Family Policy Council of West Virginia President Jeremy Dys said the planned motion is “nothing more than another example of partisan politics at its finest.”
Reach Alison Knezevich at 304-348-1240.
