Tomorrow the PA House State Government Committee is going to vote on
HB 2381, which proposes an amendment to the state constitution limiting marriage to one man and one woman.
So today I called most of that committee and asked them to vote against it.
There have been several diaries about this already. FISG has had several diaries, such as here and here, which have a variety of links to all kinds of information, and late last week I had a diary (here) that includes the phone numbers of everyone on the Government Committee.
Even if the measure passes tomorrow, it won't be the end of the story. The bill would then just go to Step 2 in the process. But I'd like to see my state kill this idiocy in committee. Slap it down here and now.
My own state representative, Paul Semmel, isn't on the committee (though he got a letter from me about this in December, just for good measure).
But today I made 17 calls, one to everyone on the committee who wasn't a sponsor or co-sponsor of the bill. I called Republicans and Democrats alike. (Some might argue that I should have called the sponsors and co-sponsors too, just to bug them. They might be right. Perhaps I'll call them tomorrow morning.)
First of all, I'd like to say I hate making phone calls like this. Hate it with a passion. I don't think I'm very good at it, either. I get nervous and start stumbling over my words, forget what I want to say, and can't remember my own phone number when they ask for it. No matter.
But here was the results.
With most of the calls, the staffer said he or she didn't know if the representative had made a decision yet. At that point I said that I wasn't a constituent, but that my rep wasn't on the committee, and I asked them to relay to the representative that I hope he or she would vote against the measure. Etc., etc. Pretty straightforward, and after 7 or 8 calls it got a little easier. (Though I did keep saying by accident, "I'm not a representative." instead of "I'm not a constituent." See? Stumble stumble stumble. - They didn't seem to mind, though.) One staffer (I didn't note whose) asked me who I was representing. I said just myself. She seemed a little disappointed.
In the case of Rep. Glen R. Grell, a Republican representing Cumberland County (717-783-2063), his staffer said (with what I took to be a smug tone) that Grell was going to support the measure. I asked her to relay my opinion anyway. She said she would.
But then there was the case of Rep. Robert L. Freeman, a Democrat representing Northampton County (717-783-3815). His staffer said he couldn't give me a definitive answer, but said Rep. Freeman has serious concerns about the bill and was leaning against it. Hurrah!
Freeman's staffer and I talked a little. He said he'd been getting tons of calls, and that they were about 50/50 for and against, but that most of the calls from Freeman's own Northampton Co. constituents were against the measure. The staffer said he had asked callers why they were for or against it. Those against it had rattled off reasons: divisive, dangerous, etc. But the staffer said those for it, on the other hand, couldn't give a straightforward reason on why they were for it or how it would impact them personally, other than vague talk about protecting the family, protecting marriage. When pressed, they generally fell back on religion.
Altogether very interesting.
The Government Committee votes TOMORROW. You could probably call tonight and leave a message, or call tomorrow, the earlier the better. So pick up the phones, you PA kossites out there. Make some calls.