A story dated yesterday in the Washington Blade tells us that informed sources tell it that D.C. City Council member David Catania intends to introduce a same-sex marriage bill in the council by Sept. 30. D.C. marriage bill imminent :
Sep 11, 2009 | By: Lou Chibbaro Jr. | COMMENTS [Share this article!] Printer Friendly Version
D.C. City Council member David Catania (I-At Large) is expected to introduce a bill to allow same-sex marriages to be performed in the District before month’s end, according to sources familiar with Catania’s plans.
The sources, who spoke on condition that they not be identified, said Catania told local activists he would drop his bill into the legislative hopper shortly before he speaks Sept. 30 before a D.C. Marriage Equality Convocation.
Since the bill will be cosponsored by at least 10 members of the 13-member council, passage is assured. And a voter referendum will almost certainly not be allowed to overturn the bill:
The city’s Board of Elections & Ethics is expected to disqualify the proposed initiative on grounds that it would violate the D.C. Human Rights Act. The board disqualified a similar voter referendum that Jackson proposed earlier this year to overturn a city law recognizing same-sex marriages from other jurisdictions.
That law took effect in July after a D.C. Superior Court judge upheld the election board’s decision to disqualify the referendum and Congress took no steps to block it.
As that last sentence suggests, Catania's bill could always be overturned by a vote of Congress. However, as a story in Thursday's Washington Post (D.C. Says Votes Aligned for Gay Marriage Bill) indicates, Congress is unlikely to do this:
Peter Rosenstein, a longtime gay rights activist, said he and other advocates are banking on Democrats in Congress to fend off the opposition. "Our hope is a Democratic Congress will be able to keep any bills or actions off the floor," Rosenstein said. "Do we have a guarantee? No. But we are fairly confident at this point."
After the council approved a bill in May legalizing same-sex marriages performed in other states, members of Congress from both parties largely steered clear of the issue. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) was quoted as saying at the time that the District should be treated like a state.
This will provide Obama and his administration a chance to stand up for equal rights. Will they?