| Only Blue Jersey has gavel-to-gavel video coverage of yesterday's marriage equality hearings at the Assembly Judiciary Committee. I'll be editing and uploading the more relevant material over the next few days. Some will be frontpaged, some will appear on the sidebar, so be sure to check there, too.
I felt like a witness to history, and someday I'll be able to tell my grandson that Grampa was there when New Jersey worked to end yet another chapter in institutional discrimination.
Below are post-hearing comments from Assemblyman Reed Gusciora, Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg, and Garden State Equality's Steven Goldstein.
Gusciora is a gentleman. His comments about freshman Assemblywoman Holly Schepisi are generous and conciliatory. I would have been less kind. Schepisi's first vote in her political career was one to perpetuate discrimination. I'll post Schepisi's remarks later, but suffice it to say that although she appeared torn in her decision, she based it partly on the fact that the e-mails she received were 50-3 in favor of marriage discrimination. She touted the all-to-familiar themes of "separate but equal" arrangements for marriage and the old "some of my best friends are gay" line.
Weinberg and Goldstein were in maximum kvell mode after the vote - deservedly so. Unlike the recent Senate hearings, at yesterday's session everyone who desired to testify was given that opportunity.
Videos are below the fold.
Technical note: One legislator I spoke with had trouble viewing prior videos on his iPad, probably because iPads do not support Flash. I've uploaded these videos in QuickTime format. The files are larger and take more time to upload. If anyone has problems with videos, please send direct email to deciminyan@gmail.com |
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