Civil Union bill (SB30) has been filed
Prime Sponsors Senators Dave Sokola (D) and Lianne Sorenson (R) and Representative Melanie George (D) have filed Senate Bill No. 30-The Civil Union Bill. After a rally headlined by Governor Jack Markell and attended by many of the co-sponsors of the Bill, members of clergy, union leaders and many scores of supporters, the Bill was filed and assigned to the Senate Administration Committee, chaired by co-sponsor Mike Katz, MD (D). If the Bill makes it out of committee, it will go to the floor of the Senate, where 9 senators are sponsors. The Bill needs 11 votes to pass. Stonewall President Mitch Crane stated that he had commitments from more than that 11, though all senators need to hear from supporters as they surely will hear from opponents.
If the bill makes it through the Senate it will go to the floor of the House, where 21 votes are needed. With the strong support of co-sponsors Speaker Bob Gilligan, Majority Leader Pete Schwartzkopf and Majority Whip Valerie Longhurst, all Democrats, a majority of representatives are on board. Speaker Gilligan told Mitch Crane "if the bill reaches the House, we will pass it".
It is important that all Stonewall members and their allies express their support NOW to their senators and representatives. The bill's co-sponsors need to be thanked and those not on-board publicly or not inclined to vote yes, need to know their own constituents want this equal rights bill passed now and that those who do not support this legislation will be held answerable to their own constituents at the polls.
146th General Assembly Senate Bill # 30 |
| Primary Sponsor: | Sokola | Additional Sponsor(s): Sen. Sorenson & Rep. George & Rep. Schooley |
| CoSponsors: | Sens. Blevins, Henry, Bunting, Katz, McDowell & Peterson; Reps. Gilligan, Schwartzkopf, Longhurst, Barbieri, Bolden, Brady, Heffernan, Keeley, Kowalko, Mitchell, Mulrooney, Osienski, Scott, B. Short, Viola, D.E. Williams, D.P. Williams | |
| Introduced on : | 03/22/2011 |  |
| Long Title: | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 13 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO CIVIL UNIONS. |
| Synopsis: | This Act creates the recognized legal relationship of civil union in Delaware for eligible persons. This Act further recognizes as civil unions for all purposes under Delaware law legal unions between two persons of the same sex entered into in jurisdictions outside of Delaware provided that such union and the parties thereto meet the Delaware eligibility requirements to enter into a civil union in the State of Delaware. Parties who enter into a lawful civil union in Delaware, or whose legal union is recognized as a civil union under Delaware law, will have all of the same rights, benefits, protections and responsibilities as married persons under Delaware law. It is not the intent of the Delaware General Assembly to revise the definition or eligibility requirements of marriage under Delaware law or to require any religious institution to perform solemnizations of civil unions. |
| Current Status: | Senate Administrative Services/Elections Committee On 03/22/2011 | ||
|
|
|
|
| Full text of Legislation: (in HTML format) |
Legis.html | Email this Bill to a friend | |
| Full text of Legislation: (in MS Word format) |
Legis.Doc (Microsoft Word 2007 or above required to view this document.) | ||
| Fiscal Notes/Fee Impact: | F/N (InComplete) |
|
Mar 22, 2011 - Assigned to Administrative Services/Elections Committee in Senate |
