PA Senate ignores big problems, goes after gay people

A friend who is a senator likes to joke that the Pennsylvania Senate is where good ideas go to die. Apparently, it's also the place where some bad ideas never die.

Like a zombie freak show yet again rising from its grave, the attempt to amend the Pennsylvania constitution to ban same sex marriage is back. Senate Bill 707 would embed discrimination into our constitution.

On Tuesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to vote on SB 707, an idea that has already died twice, in 2006 and 2008.

Please contact your senator and ask him or her to vote "no" on SB 707. Don't know who your senator is? Use our "find your legislator" tool.

It pains me to say this, but we almost have to encourage you to contact every member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. That's what our opponents do, and they are effective when they do it.

Since we've beaten this twice before, you probably know the talking points, but here are some ideas:

• The constitution has historically been used to protect and expand rights, not restrict them.
• A poll conducted last year by The Morning Call found that only 44 percent of Pennsylvanians want this constitutional amendment. 45 percent are opposed to the idea.
• Pennsylvania is facing a lot of major issues, including a pension crisis, a drop in tax revenues, and prison overcrowding. There couldn't be a worse time to take on this divisive, distracting legislation.

Here's a full page of talking points (pdf) that you may find helpful.

This committee vote is going to be very close. If this bill goes down in committee, it could be the end of the efforts to amend our constitution to ban same sex marriage. Let's do this!

Andy in Harrisburg