From: NewNowNext
Senator Jim Dabakis staged a brilliant “mini-filibuster” last week in order to prevent an anti-LGBT proposal from the extremely homophobic GOP Rep. Lavar Christensen.
The anti-gay amendment, which would have prevented same-sex couples from being joint tenants for tax purposes, arrived on the Senate floor with only three minutes left in the session.
The New Civil Rights Movement reported:
“When the clerk called the name of Democratic Sen. Jim Dabakis, the only openly gay member of the Legislature, he stalled by clearing his throat and sneezing, then seemed to fumble his words and ponder his vote, according to Salt Lake Tribune columnist Paul Rolly.
Realizing Dabakis’ stall tactics, [Senate President Wayne L.] Niederhauser said, ’Passing, passing, go to the next one. C’mon, let’s go.’
After all of the other senators had voted, the clerk called Niederhauser’s name.
’Aye, but we ran out of time,’ Niederhauser said. ’All right, we’re done.'”
Dabakis turned to Facebook following the vote in order to share his thoughts on the situation.
He wrote:
“My mini-filibuster. What they did was very meanspirited! SB 252 was a low blow anti-LGBT bill. It was pulled off the board at 11:57 PM. The session ends at midnight. As they rushed this redneck-pleasing, bad bill through, there was only one minute left to vote. Roll Call Vote. When it came my time to vote — I had to deliberate. A long time. Until the session ended! BTW, the bill would have changed the words in state law from ’married, or a married couple’ to ’husband and wife.’ The hamfisted attempt to pass the bill under the radar was at least sneaky and tacky, trying to exclude our Utah same sex married couples from the law. And if it had passed, it most likely would have cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands in a lawsuit. Tacky.”
You can watch the amendment meet its demise in the video below.
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