I've been meaning to bring up a pretty interesting happening in Idaho politics. I just picked up an issue of Idaho Liberty, the ACLU of Idaho's publication, and it reminded me that I needed to post about this. I'll just quote from the article:
Representative Henry Kulczyk (R, Eagle) proposed to amend the Idaho Constitution to state: "Only marriage between one man and one woman at one time shall be recognized as valid in this state. No other relationship shall be recognized as a marriage or its legal equivalent by the state of Idaho or its political subdivisions, regardless of whether such relationship is recognized by the laws of any jurisdiction outside this state."
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The House voted 53/17 in support of the amendment. Senator Sheila Sorensen (R, Boise), Chair of the Senate State Affairs Committee, held the bill without a hearing.
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In an unusual meneuver, Senate Pro Tem Robert Geddes, (R, Soda Springs) attempted to bypass Sen. Sorensen and pull the bill into committee. His motion failed on a 5/4 vote.
This is amazing to see in a conservative state like Idaho. I have so much respect for Senator Sorensen because she stood up to the conservative, male-dominated lawmakers and was quoted as saying, "Why are we doing it? Where is the threat? Why is this more important than other laws? It's an election tool people are using. It's being used as a litmus test. It's mean-spirited."
Senator Sheila Sorensen, I salute you. You've got bigger balls than any of your counterparts, and I mean that as a very sincere compliment.