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
Yesterday's Senate Judiciary Committee hearings on marriage equality made me proud of several legislators - veterans and freshmen alike. Below the fold are videos of the remarks of Senate President Sweeney, Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg, and two openly gay Assemblymen - Reed Gusciora and Tim Eustace. As a bonus, Assemblyman Eustance's son, Kyle, also testified.
Here is today's vote on marriage equality along with the statements from each of the senators. It's worth watching - from the eloquence of Senators Gill and Weinberg to the cowardice of Senator Bateman to the political posturing of Senator Kyrillos. Congratulations to Senators Lesniak, Weinberg, and Sweeney, and to Steven Goldstein for this momentous step.
I arrived early at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Marriage Equality in order to get a good spot for my video camera. The hearings were scheduled for 11 AM. By 9:15, when I arrived, the line was all the way back to the lobby and more people were coming. I was the first reporter there, and was able to secure a prime spot adjacent to the witness table, a power outlet, and access to the audio feed. What more could a blogger and amateur videographer ask for?
I've been to a lot of committee hearings over the last year, but this was one of the most emotional for me. Yes, I've heard the stories about Danny and John, and about Marsha and Louise before, and they touched me deeply. But today, their stories were juxtaposed with those of marriage bigots who demand special rights for heterosexual couples. (And I'm sad to have to use the term "bigot", but their arguments hold no more water than those who worked to deny women's right to vote in the early 20th century or those who worked to deny rights to African Americans in mid-century.) My head reeled with the thoughts of how can these people call themselves religious? Religion involves compassion and understanding, but these people did not understand a word that was spoken.
On Tuesday, we will see the first step in the effort to pass Senate Bill 1 (S1), the Marriage Equality and Religious Exemption Act. It promises to be an exciting hearing. Our friends at Garden State Equality will be there, and I’m sure the proponents of marriage discrimination will be also.
America was founded on principles of individual rights, and it’s appropriate that the marriage equality bill is the first piece of legislation to be considered in this session. That’s not to say that jobs, health care, and education are not critical. But individual rights are the bedrock of our society, and should never take a back seat to the other important issues.
Despite the Constitutional guarantees, there are still people who, as Steven Goldstein of GSE puts it, demand “special rights” of heterosexual marriage. It’s important that we understand and counter their arguments so that we help tip the balance in the legislature toward the side of marriage equality.
I'm re-posting this from Monday. That morning, one of the busiest days in the Senate, the Democratic leadership granted Blue Jersey a significant amount of time for this interview. It was overshadowed by the tragic events that evening, but the remarks by Senators Sweeney and Weinberg set the stage for the new session, ahead.
This morning, Senate President Stephen Sweeney and incoming Majority Leader Senator Loretta Weinberg took time out of their busy day to give Blue Jersey readers an exclusive interview. They talked about the accomplishments of the last session, goals for the new session (which starts tomorrow), the new initiative for marriage equality, jobs, energy, and the recent controversies about residency requirements in the last legislative election.
Conventional wisdom says that one way to defeat Congressman Jon Runyan this year is to fight fire with fire. That is, instead of the Democrats standing up a run-of-the-mill politician against Runyan, they should nominate a celebrity. The thinking is that there's really no one in the Burlington/Ocean county political establishment that has the name recognition, fundraising ability, and gravitas to compete with the ex-NFL "bad boy" and his bottomless source of campaign funds from the corporatists.
There is a celebrity athlete in Runyan's congressional district - one who has dabbled in politics before., and can be orders of magnitude better than Runyan. Olympian Carl Lewis ran for state senate last year, only to be denied the opportunity to serve because a judge ruled that the long-time New Jerseyan did not strictly fit the residency requirements.
Photo of Lewis' announcement of his senate run - April, 2011
(Left to right: Orange, NJ Mayor Eldrige Hawkins, Carl Lewis, Christopher Walker - Executive Director of the Carl Lewis Foundation, New Jersey Senate President Stephen Sweeney)
Who would have thought that there would come a time on this blog when I would agree with firstamend07 and disagree with my good friend and former colleague Jeff Pickens? Well, as implausible as it sounds, it’s true – in at least one instance.
It started when Jeff posted an excellent diary entitled “I’m Not Sure I Can Hold My Nose This Time” where he excoriates his Democratic District 4 legislators for their unresponsiveness to some legitimate questions he has asked them. In that diary, Jeff asks what he should do on Election Day to express his disgust. Staying home and voting Republican, he says, are not options. Should he write in someone else? Should he vote for a third party candidate?
I responded in the comments, saying that if Jeff does not vote for the Democrats, he essentially is voting for the Republicans.
With the Governor on vacation and Senator Sweeney's bombast being supplanted by the hand wringing surrounding the Casey Anthony verdict, you would think that Trenton's name-calling and argumentative style would be on hiatus, and you would be wrong.
On the heels of Stephen Sweeney's fake outrage against Chris Christie after being "duped" on a line item pen wielding uncompromising Governor, a number of New Jerseyans have reported received robocalls paid for by none other than the Republican State Committee thanking Sweeney for his bipartisanship in crushing unions and further solidifying himself as Christie's biggest ally in destroying the middle class.
Ok, so it wasn't put exactly that way, but it would seem appropriate to me based on the fact that I received no fewer than a dozen (and quite possibly more) press releases from Legislative Republicans applauding Sweeney for his continued movement toward the dark side while the feeling of betrayal by Sweeney is growing and patience for his act is wearing thin by those who he is supposed to represent and the Party he is supposed to be viewed as a leader of.
The irony is that Sweeney is doing this on policies where Christie's rightfully getting the most criticism and his ratings are the worst. I guess the Republican State Committee and Governor Christie do have a lot to thank Sweeney for. Not just this latest bill that further weakens this state's working class (a bill his office put out a number of press releases crowing about) but also for helping Christie pass his draconian budget last year, for supporting the nonsensical property tax "cap", for a stunning lack of a spine or leadership on marriage equality.....just to mention a few that jump to mind quickly.
When the opposition Party spends money to praise you for helping them with one of their long time pet issues, that's not something to be proud of. When you are a so-called leader of the party that has handed a number of huge wins to that opposition Party at the expense of your own Party's core values, that is embarrassing. When your actions also happen to enrich your political benefactor - someone who stands to benefit personally, financially and politically from your actions, that is screaming for a no confidence vote.
Tom Moran has a column in today's NJ.com that provides an account of Senate President Steve Sweeney's ire after Governor Christie vetoed scores of programs that would have created jobs and helped the poor and middle class. Sweeney's anger is puzzling.
Like nearly every Republican who touts "bipartisanship", Christie is a BiNO - bipartisan in name only. And Sweeney should have known this.
When you have a party like the GOP that is willing to wreck the economy for the sake of their political benefactors, you have to recognize that real compromise is not in their vocabulary.
It is hard to believe that Sweeney considers Christie as a partner instead of an adversary as far as working people of New Jersey are concerned. Maybe Sweeney had a gentleman's agreement with Christie, but Sweeney knows that Christie is one of the former US prosecutors who was not fired by Bush's capo, Karl Rove, during Rove's reign of unethical political terror. Anyone with a heartbeat should realize that this alone taints Christie with a dubious ethical record.
The only thing Sweeney accomplished last week was to advance Chris Christie's presidential ambitions.
So the question remains. As the highest ranking elected Democratic official in New Jersey, is Sweeney over his head in dealing with a very clever governor? Or is Sweeny simply a GOP mole who is in Trenton to advance the Christie/Norcross axis of greed? Either way, Sweeney must be stripped of his leadership position and return the Democratic Party to real Democrats.
On a final note, Moran's article quotes Sweeney as calling the governor a "rotten prick." This type of language is uncalled for. Sweeney should immediately apologize to rotten pricks everywhere.
Realistic or not, this is what it comes down to. To quote one of my fellow Blue Jerseyans, "this is war". To quote another, "Sweeney, the union boss, is bragging that the union lost." To quote another, "sending around this column to the press is the equivalent of high fiving himself for the union man's unique role in helping a strongman Republican Governor bring organized labor to its knees." - a column that includes the following quote from Sweeney:
"You saw the unions today do their best to intimidate people," said Senate President Steve Sweeney. "But guess what? We're in charge. I didn't come down here to be told what to do."
Sweeney must be proud. He did the bidding for his benefactor, insurance man George Norcross and carried water for Governor Christie's anti-middle class agenda yet again. But in reality, he has yet again betrayed the values of Democrats - the party he is supposed to be one of the leaders of - as well as the middle class workers that the Party has historically stood up for, not to mention the unions that we was a part of for so long.
"If we learned anything in this last election it's that the main issue right now is the economy,"
Ahhhhh yes, the economy. When Sweeney could have made sure that Christie's tax cut for the wealthy didn't happen during the lame duck session, he didn't lead. Then, he could have blocked a vote (singlehandedly) on Christie's horrific budget last year but refused to do so. And while there could have been a shutdown, it would have given New Jerseyans a taste of what "life in Chris Christie's New Jersey" would be like - and has become. Instead, Sweeney made sure there were just enough votes from his caucus to pass Christie's draconian budget last year.
If Sweeney cared about Democratic values or cared about the economy while failing to lead on the issue of equality, he wouldn't be taking the lead on this nonsense on eliminating worker rights and demolishing collective bargaining in the first place. If Sweeney cared about Democratic values or cared about the economy, he wouldn't have led the charge on some of Christie's property tax pet projects like the cap that did nothing to lower property taxes or help towns or schools. That doesn't create jobs. That doesn't help the economy.
He is a failure in his role as Democratic Leader on many many levels and is not deserving of his position. If anything, he is acting like those on the other side of the aisle.
On the warmest day of the year so far, Olympic medalist Carl Lewis was cool as a cucumber when he announced his candidacy as a Democrat for the state Senate seat currently held by Dawn Addiego.
Against a backdrop of the historic old Mount Holly courthouse and flanked by his mother, his high school track coach, Senate President Sweeney, and a dozen or so supporters, Lewis gave a polished announcement, stressing his commitment to children and community. He railed against the "culture of mediocrity" that he claims is pervasive today, and said it is now our opportunity to inspire.
In the contentious world of politics, many are calling for bipartisan cooperation. A legislator's job is certainly easier and less stressful if he or she can work cooperatively with the other party. But bipartisanship run amok can result in capitulation - capitulation of ideals and failure to serve those who matter most, the electorate.
Such is the case in New Jersey, where the Democratic legislative majority has allowed Republican Governor Chris Christie to run roughshod over state employees, labor unions, and public school students.
Now, Democrats and Republicans in New Jersey have joined forces to try once again to revitalize Atlantic City tourism. On the surface, this is a wonderful and much-needed initiative. Once the crown jewel of shore attractions, the "Las Vegas of the East" has succumbed to the proliferation of gambling establishments throughout the northeast, and has been consistently losing market share and revenue.
Governor Christie was accurate in saying a few days ago there would be no big surprises in today's speech. His three themes were "maintaining fiscal discipline, achieving needed education reform, and fixing the state's broken pension and benefits systems." His tone was somewhat more subdued than normal, but he was also frequently blunt and to the point.
Assembly Speaker Sheila Y. Oliver (D-Essex/Passaic) statement: "It's been painfully clear throughout the Governor's first year in office that we are living in two very distinct and separate New Jerseys.
"In Chris Christie's New Jersey, he thinks he can say 'buck up' and deal with my painful budget cuts and working and middle class families will simply fall in line without missing a beat. In the other New Jersey - the reality the rest of us live in - families are paying more for less and systematically being forced out of their way of life.
"Working class women have lost access to critical healthcare. Seniors have lost their property tax rebates and the working poor have seen their Earned Income Tax Credit cut while the state's wealthiest received a tax break. Vital after-school programs have been slashed, while transit fares have been hiked. Meanwhile, our unemployment rate remains alarmingly high and the Governor seems content with that.
"This year cannot be about more of the same.
"This week the Legislature finished passing a package of roughly 30 bills designed to create real and lasting jobs and stimulate long-term economic growth. The fate of New Jerseyans everywhere is now in the Governor's hands.
"If Governor Christie truly cares about turning New Jersey around, he will sign this package into law and he will do it quickly. We are now on year two of the Christie agenda and residents cannot afford to wait any longer."
Democratic Senator Stephen Sweeney did Republican Governor Chris Christie a big favor by maintaining a low profile (other than declaring a much-needed snow emergency) when both the Governor and Lieutenant Governor inexplicabally neglected their constituents by skipping town before the onset of the snowstorm. As acting governor, Sweeney promised not to do any "mischief" during his brief reign.
Yet, Sweeney can do himself, the governor, and the state a favor by taking two actions - signing the anti-bullying bill and signing the women's health bill. As Senator Weinberg pointed out, the women's health law will not impact the state's budget. The signing of the anti-bullying law is the right thing to do, but for some reason is not supported by oddly misnamed pro-family groups, a key element of Christie's constituency.
If we go out on a limb and grant that Chris Christie is a decent person, then signing these bills is something that he would do if political considerations were taken out of the equation. So if Acting Governor Sweeney signs the bills, he takes the heat from his political enemies and earns points from his skeptical allies. A win-win for the politicians and the people - how often do we have that opportunity?
(What do you think, Blue Jersey? Should Sweeney stay in the sidelines or use this as an opportunity to do some "mischief"? - promoted by deciminyan)
Talk about "below the fold".
On Christmas Day, 1:00pm, when most people were not reading the Star Ledger or NJ.com, came the news that Governor Chris Christie and Lt Governor Kim Guadagno are both taking vacation out of state, leaving Senate President Stephen Sweeney as acting governor while both are away. Maybe I missed something, but wasn't the position of Lt. Governor created to provide for continuity in the NJ Executive branch while the Governor was unavailable to discharge his duties? How do they get away with leaving the state at the same time?
While we know that the Governor will be in Disney World in Florida with his family, it has not been released (not to this writer, at least) where Lt Gov. Guadagno will be, other than that she will be out of state. Perhaps she will be in Disney World with the governor, standing behind him, gazing longingly, Nancy-Reagan-like, while Christie hob-nobs with Mickey and watches his kids enjoy the rides.
According to the Star Ledger:
"Theoretically, Sweeney could sign legislation Christie hasn’t acted on or even file nominations Christie would never dream of filing. Sweeney could even re-nominate former state Supreme Court Justice John Wallace Jr. to the bench, whose pass-over by Christie in favor of attorney Anne Patterson angered Sweeney. But he won’t.
Barocas, Legal Director of NJ's ACLU, suggests our Governor look in the mirror, and our Senate President's words ring hollow. - promoted by Rosi
It didn't take long for my feelings of horror and sadness at the suicide of Tyler Clementi to turn into anger - anger not just at the unfeeling young students who so cruelly invaded Tyler's privacy, but at our state's leaders who, through their refusal to provide gay and lesbian citizens with full equality, have stigmatized gay and lesbian relationships and set the tone for tragedies like this to occur.
A line from my testimony to the New Jersey legislature during the 2009 marriage equality debate echoed hauntingly in my mind:
"When the state itself segregates people, it grants the rest of society permission to do the same. Through its example, the legislature excuses bigotry and emboldens bullies."
A downtown Salem office building was evacuated this afternoon when a package addressed to State Senate President Stephen Sweeney was opened and found to contain what was first deemed a suspicious white powder.
In a climate where more legislators are being threatened with violence (mostly Democrats, by the way), and on the heels of "suspicious white powder letters" being sent over the past few years to the likes of former US Senator Tom Daschle, current Senator Pat Leahy, Keith Olbermann and the gas line at Rep. Tom Perriello's brother's house - quite simply, this right wing domestic terrorism shit has to stop.
Someone is going to get killed. Someone is going to cite what they were told by Sarah Palin/Glenn Beck/Sean Hannity/Rush Limbaugh/Michelle Bachmann or another right wing extremist kook, and everyone will throw up their hands and say "who could have known?"
Bullshit.
What makes this even more ironically aggravating is the simple fact that to shut down government offices, send people to hospitals for examination, summoning police, firefighters, rescue workers and hazardous material crews, investigate and prosecute the right wing domestic terrorists who are responsible for this costs We the People money. Aren't the teabaggers against excessive government spending? Isn't this something that perpetuates exactly what they claim to be against?
And where is "law and order" Governor Chris Christie on this disgusting and cowardly display of terroristic activity? Why is he not condemning this act and talking about how much New Jersey taxpayers will now have to pay in order to deal with this?
