Equality in Kentucky is getting closer; the truth about the Kentucky Senate

Want to know why Kentucky doesn't have a statewide law banning discrimination against gay and lesbian people (the entire community, LGBTI) in employment, housing, credit, and accommodations? The answer is simple, Republicans in the Kentucky Senate always defeat the measure, most of the time without the legislation making it out of committee. (previous story)

However, equality and fairness may be closer than you think.

Long time anti-gay Senate President David Williams is slowly, but surely losing control of the Kentucky Senate. Why? Governor Steve Beshear keeps appointing them to executive positions within his cabinet, and under his control. One by one, Republicans are leaving the Kentucky Senate for higher paying jobs in the Executive Branch of Kentucky's Government, or the Judicial Branch.

Kentucky Democrats gained another chance Monday to increase their numbers in the GOP-led state Senate when Gov. Steve Beshear opened up a seat by appointing a longtime Republican senator to serve as a judge.

Beshear, a Democrat, appointed Sen. Dan Kelly to be circuit judge in Kentucky's 11th Judicial Circuit, which represents four counties southeast of Louisville. Republicans held a 20-17-1 lead - including one independent who tends to side with the GOP - in the state Senate before Kelly's departure.

"I made the decision based on his qualifications," Beshear said.

Senate President David Williams, a Burkesville Republican, had predicted that Beshear would appoint Kelly to the judicial vacancy. Williams said at the time Beshear was "poisoning" the state's political atmosphere by dangling jobs to lure Republicans out of the Senate.

Governor Beshear has helped Kentucky's LGBTI community, but he cannot do more (and neither can Senator Stein, Representative Tom Burch, and others until the Senate changes leadership). (previous story)

In Kentucky, you cannot be fired for being a smoker, but you can be fired for being gay......now THAT is cheating (what the Family Foundation of Kentucky called Kentucky Equality Federation’s coordination of the 2009 National Freedom to Marry Day in Kentucky). I'm sure the Family Foundation of Kentucky is biting their nails off since they are close to most Republicans in the Kentucky Senate, and almost always testify at Senate Committee hearings.

Look the the following statements below from your Kentucky elected lawmakers (source 1, source 2):

Homosexuality is aberrant behavior. - Senate President David Williams (R) (January 2008) (story, and argument with Kentucky Equality Federation President Jordan Palmer)

It's OK to fire someone if they're gay. Historically, homosexuals haven't suffered. - Representative Joseph Fischer (R) (October 2006) (story 1, Kentucky Equality Federation leads protest against Statehouse Rep. Joe Fisher during election debate), and (story 2, Kentucky Equality Federation and Kentucky Fairness Alliance slam a Kentucky Representative)

The University of the Cumberlands stands for what is positive [by expelling a gay student]. - Senate President David Williams (R) (August 2006)

I don't want to entice any of those people [queers] into our state. Those are the wrong kind of people. – Senator Dick Roeding (R) (July 2006)

The Log Cabin Republican Club of Kentucky, a gay GOP group, "are nothing but a bunch of queers." - Senator Dick Roeding (R) (July 2006)

I wouldn't think that there would be a lot of support in the General Assembly for giving benefits to people that were involved in same-sex relationships. Doing so would be bad public policy. - Senate President David Williams (R) (July 2006)

I am committed to protecting traditional marriage. I proudly supported the Same-Sex Marriage Amendment proposal in Kentucky in 2004 and was pleased to see it pass with 74% of the vote. - U.S. Representative Geoff Davis (R) [part of Kentucky's Congressional delegation] (July 2006)

Since 2006, Kentucky Equality Federation, Kentucky Fairness Alliance, and the Louisville Fairness Campaign have trained people to lobby their elected officials in Frankfort for complete LGBTI equality; they have a rally in the Capitol Rotunda yearly in support of this.* (source)

Since pro-gay legislation always passes the Kentucky House of Representatives (the Democratic Party has a huge lead in the Kentucky House), will the same happen if Democrats re-take the Kentucky Senate?

Complete equality and fairness for our community could be closer than anyone thinks.

Support Kentucky's LGBTI organizations that lobby and fight for your rights!

* Special Note: The Lexington Chapter is Kentucky Fairness Alliance separated from the organization at some point in 2007 and is now called Lexington Fairness. Lexington Fairness also participated in the 2007 and 2009 lobbying and rallies.

Are you in favor of amending the Constitution to remove language requiring that separate schools for "white" and "colored" children be maintained?

Did you just suffer from a time warp? Would it surprise you to learn that Kentucky citizens voted on that again in 1996?

Political elites were stunned when a third of those voting, and majorities in five counties, rejected the change. Poll result in McLean County, KY (they voted in favor of it)

The upcoming 2010 Kentucky Legislative Session gets closer everyday, and this is going to be a LONG session, so be prepared for anti-gay legislation to be filed, and be prepared to fight it. We've had so many hard fought battles over the past several years.

In 2006, conservative Senators in Kentucky filed legislation to "rein in the Kentucky Court of Justice" by limiting judicial review of legislative acts; conservatives wanted to limit the authority of Kentucky Courts in ruling something "unconstitutional." Senate Bill 236 (sponsored by 9 Senators) and stated:

- The judicial department shall not engage in judicial activism through court orders or the issuance of opinions which are intended to advance policy positions, the determinations on which properly belong to the other departments of government.

- The judicial department shall not declare any act of the General Assembly unconstitutional or void on the basis of the amount of funds provided for a particular program;

- The judicial department shall not construe any provision of this Constitution to permit a local government to grant civil rights entitlements to a class of persons unless authorized by the General Assembly; but courts shall recognize that if the General Assembly authorizes a local government to grant such entitlements to a class of persons based on other than race, color, religion, disability, familial status or national origin, birth, gender, or age, it shall only do so by enacting legislation which specifically identifies the allowable class of persons and entitlements which may be created and conferred.

- The judicial department shall not allow a challenge to the constitutionality, validity, or application of any act of the General Assembly. (source)

When you consider the Kentucky 2004 Constitutional Amendment banning same-sex marriage, the proposed laws and Constitutional Amendments listed above, is it any wonder why we turn to the Judiciary to protect us (the Kentucky Court of Justice, headed by the Chief Justice of the Kentucky Supreme Court, with subordinate courts such as Drug Court, District Court, Family Court, Circuit Court, and the Kentucky Court of Appeals)?

Obviously, the majority cannot always be trusted to make responsible, moral decisions which is why Kentucky has three (3) Government Branches: Executive, Legislative, and Judicial.

Millions of soldiers have died (and continue to die everyday) to protect the "idea" that is this Republic; however, so long as conservatives walk all over the Constitution and deny all of her citizens equality, those solders have died defending a dream, not a reality. But they also died defending our right to demand and fight for equality; allow this entry to be a thank you for their sacrifice and bravery.

Special thanks to the students at Eastern Kentucky University and the Univeristy of Kentucky for contributing to this post.

What does the new Senate mean for the Commonwealth's LGBTI population? Anything? Is it an indication of future?

With members of the Democratic Party gaining strength in the Kentucky Senate, what does this mean for Kentucky's gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, and interex population?

One must wonder if Senate President David L. Williams is feeling the squeeze despite what he recently said to the Courier-Journal: “It won't make any difference.”

This is the new makeup of the Kentucky Senate:

Since the end of the previous Legislative Session, Republicans have lost two (2) seats to Democrats. The Kentucky Senate how has 20 Republicans, 17 Democrats, and 1 Independent.

Though Senate President David Williams is entitled to his views, they are outdated; could this be the reason for the political changes in the Senate? Are Kentuckians finally ready to pass a School Bullying Bill, or an Equality Bill so LGBTI people cannot be fired simply for being gay?

• Let us not forget that President Williams defended the University of the Cumberlands in expelling Jason Johnson, for being gay.

• Let us not forget that Senate President Williams has often sided with the Family Foundation of Kentucky, an anti-gay group; both have tried to stop Kentucky universities from offering domestic-partner benefits to same-sex couples (and failed). (more)

• Let us not forget that President Williams has always opposed the 'school bullying bill.' Senate President Williams and Kentucky Equality Federation President Jordan Palmer had a heated exchange in interviews with the Herald-Leader and WLKY (Louisville/Southern Indiana station) after Williams called the bill 'an excuse for the addition of curriculum dealing with aberrant behavior,' with Palmer accusing Williams of being homophobic and afraid of tolerance and other viewpoints. The aim of the bill has always been to give educators the tools they need to address bullying problems with gay students. (more)

What does the new makeup of the Senate mean for the Commonwealth's LGBTI population? Anything? Is it an indication of future election results in Kentucky?

Kentucky still needs anti-gay bullying legislation!

Though such legislation always dies in the Kentucky Senate, other school districts see the need for anti-gay bullying rules and/or laws.

Just last year former Senator Ernesto Scorsone tried to force the issue in the Kentucky Senate. Lawmakers have passed legislation related to school bullying since 2005, but it has yet to ever receive a hearing in a Kentucky Senate Committee.

• STORY: 2008 School Bullying Legislation Dies
• STORY: Bullying at Northern Kentucky University
  
• STORY: Bullying at Conner High School

Just this week another major county, Alameda, in the State of California adopted "Safe School Curriculum," that aim to curb anti-gay bullying. School officials say it will help children of gay parents feel welcome at school and help end anti-gay teasing and bullying on the playground.

The lessons also aim to provide a safe environment for children to learn, as well as to offer a framework for teachers to break down stereotypes and teach kids about different types of families.

A student offered testimony during the hearing:

Brian Harris, a 16-year-old student at the Alameda Community Learning Center, told trustees that he has been called anti-gay epithets on campus.

"I have been harassed by other students in the classroom and I have even begun to consider just stopping and giving up on life," Harris said.

"We need to start somewhere," said Trustee Niel Tam, who voted yes.

According to the American Physiological Association, children and/or teenagers who are victims of school bullying have some of the following characteristics:

• Are cautious, sensitive, quiet, withdrawn and shy
• Are often anxious, insecure, unhappy and have low self-esteem
• Are depressed and engage in suicidal ideation much more often than their peers
• Often do not have a single good friend and relate better to adults than to peers
• If they are boys, they may be physically weaker than their peers
  

These characteristics are likely to be both a partial cause and a consequence of the bullying. There is also another, much smaller group of victims, called provocative victims or bully-victims, with partly different characteristics, including frequent reading and writing problems and ADHD characteristics.

As the school official in Alameda County, California said, "We need to start somewhere." Well, we obviously need to start somewhere here in Kentucky also..... but for now, children and teenagers will have to continue to suffer because of homophobic lawmakers who believe the legislation will be used to "promote homosexuality," or our so-called "gay agenda."

If you are a victim of school bullying, report it here*.

* If you or anyone else is in immediate danger, notify school officials or local law enforcement immediately.

Studies: Children of gay parents just like other kids

This is one report and news article you won't see the Family Foundation of Kentucky or the lesser American Family Association of Kentucky talking about in any blogs.

Years ago the Kentucky Enquirer reported that children raised by homosexual couples are no different than children raised by heterosexual couples. Why would they be?

The Miami-Herald published this story today:

At least 4 million U.S. children have one or both parents who identify themselves as homosexual, said Gary Gates of the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law, but long-term studies are still limited.

Sociologists Judith Stacey and Timothy Biblarz published an analysis in 2001 in the American Sociological Review of 21 studies of children raised by homosexual parents and found that, overall, they were no more likely to suffer from psychological problems than kids raised in conventional homes.

Ultimately, their findings were generally endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, the American Psychological Association and other mainstream organizations.

The bottom line is that within the research community there are no empirical studies demonstrating adverse effects, said Stacey, who is now at New York University. ''We know that a parent's sexual orientation is not a significant factor. A good parent is a good parent . . . and parents who get along and are consistent in their child-rearing . . . have better outcomes than those who don't,'' she said.

Orson Morrison, a 35-year-old clinical psychologist, found that to be his experience growing up in Toronto.

Though society has become more tolerant, the political environment has become harsher, making homosexuality one of the last bastions of acceptable discrimination.

Kentucky lawmakers adjourn; Senate Bill 68 remained dead

The 2009 Kentucky Legislative Session is officially over.

As Kentucky Equality Federation predicted, Senate Bill 68 died before the recess.

The Great Hall in the Kentucky Capitol (pictured) is finally empty of anti-equality lawmakers, who will not be back in full force until the 2010 Legislative Session (unless serving on an Interim Committees).

Though we can celebrate for now, we must be prepared for similar legislation to be filed next year. Remember, the 2010 Legislative Session (which begins in January) will be a long session.

What can you do to help?
One of the most important things you can do is sign-up for email alerts. Though equality is important to all of us, we also realize you have a million other things to do other than read emails from us several times per week; as a result, kyLGBT.org is very selective about the emails sent from this site.

After signing-up for email alerts, you may also:

• Sign-up to receive our official press releases.
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Volunteer
Kentucky Equality Federation and Marriage Equality Kentucky are still looking for Outreach Directors to represent members of the LGBTI community (Black, Transgender, Intersex, Immigration, Asian, Seniors, Medical, Faith, and LGBTI Parents), that too often have not been included, either in positions of leadership or in public education.

Senate Bill 68 - Unmarried, Anti-Gay Adoption Ban Passed Senate Committee

Senate Bill 68 - We all knew it would pass the Senate Committee if it came to a vote. We also know it can pass the Senate without any problem. It passed unanimously in Committee today, with only the Family Foundation of Kentucky testifying in support of it; no one was present to oppose it. Why? Apparently this was a secret meeting, or one called at the last minute from the way I understand it.

The truth is that even if representatives from Kentucky Equality Federation or any other LGBTI organization had been present, we likely would not have been allowed to speak. I've been at the Capitol before when management of Kentucky Fairness Alliance wanted to testify about some anti-gay legislation and the Senate Committee would not hear any of us.

If it makes it to the House of Representatives, I'm sure it will be assigned to the House Standing Committee on Health and Welfare, which is chaired by Representative Tom Burch (D), a wonderful elected official from Louisville.

In addition, the Kentucky Legislature adjourns in less than 6 business days (next Friday). That is not enough time for it to do anything in the House.

Again, we knew this could happen, and that if the Senate wanted to pass the measure, they could easily; getting it through the House is another matter! Please also keep in mind the Governor retains veto power.

I'm sure the people at the Family Foundation of Kentucky will sleep well tonight knowing they tried to keep children out of loving homes; both from since straight people, and loving gay couples.

500 Signatures and Growing

Kentucky Equality Federation has collected over 500 signatures to oppose Senate Bill 68! This is in addition to the signatures Kentucky Fairness Alliance has collected!

Please continue to sign the action alert to oppose Senate Bill 68. Our children are not political pawns!

This is not only a gay adoption ban, but it would also prevent unmarried heterosexual couples from serving as foster parent or adopting children if they are not in a 'marriage that is legally valid in Kentucky."

The bill reads: "Create a new section of KRS Chapter 199 to prohibit the approval of foster care, relative caregiver services, or adoption of a child by an applicant who is cohabiting with a sexual partner outside of a marriage that is legally valid in Kentucky; create the short title "The Child Welfare Adoption Act"; exempt children placed for adoption prior to the effective date of this Act; amend KRS 199.470 to conform."

Kentucky Senator files gay adoption ban in the Kentucky Senate

The party created as an opposition to the expansion of slavery, as well as a new, progressive vision of modernizing the United States — emphasizing higher education, banking, railroads, industry and cities continues to slide backwards as Kentucky Senator Gary Tapp (R) files a gay (LGBTI) adoption ban in the Kentucky Senate; Senate Bill 68.

> Click here to sign the petition to stop this immoral act!

Senator Tapp may have forgotten the 2008 General Election, which was an enormous victory for Democrats on a national level (both in terms of Governors, State Houses, and state Congressional delegations).

During a time when the Republican Party is on its knees (they could not match the donations of Democrats nationally during the 2008 Election), this adoption ban is another smack down to the Republican Party, and it is shameful.

The Log Cabin Republicans issued this press release after the 2008 Election defeats:

Inevitably, social conservatives will try to push the GOP further right on the divisive wedge issues that caused our Party to lose focus on its core principles in the first place. Their intrusive big government ideology drove our Party over the cliff. Going further right on social issues will turn the GOP into a regional party only competitive in the South and Midwest. Instead, we must become a more diverse Party appealing to conservatives, libertarians, and moderate voters.

To the Log Cabin Republicans, good luck; you have a tough road ahead of you in Kentucky (we all do). Honestly, how sad that a party has gotten so far off track!

Never mind the fact that Florida just struck down their gay adoption ban as being unconstitutional; though currently under appeal, Judge Lederman stated, "The court found that moral preference against homosexuality has no bearing on whether gay or lesbian individuals can adopt because many homosexual individuals serve as foster parents in Florida to abused children and permitting them to adopt those children (in particular) does not serve any state interest whatsoever."

Various professional organizations have carefully studied the scientific research and issued policy statements supporting adoption by gay and lesbian people. These organizations include: American Academy of Pediatrics, American Psychological Association, American Academy of Family Physicians, American Psychoanalytic Association, National Council of Adoptable Children, Child Welfare League of America, National Association of Social Workers, and others.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, there is no credible scientific evidence that the sexual orientation of parents has any effect either on the quality of parenting or on the wellbeing of their children.

The best interest of the child should be the only consideration when selecting good homes for these children.

Gay and lesbian people currently raise children in Kentucky as biological parents, foster parents, legal guardians and increasingly as part of planned families through alternative insemination and surrogate parenting.

Though Senator Tapp filed this as an 'unmarried couples' adoption ban (which passed in Arkansas), it is being challenged in the courts and I have no doubt they shall prevail. Again, the best interest of the child should be the only consideration when selecting good homes for these children.

> Click here to sign the petition to stop this immoral act!

KY will not appeal Cumberlands decision (duhhh)

In April 2006, Kentucky legislators approved a $12 million grant to the University of the Cumberlands, a private school in Williamsburg, Ky., affiliated with the Kentucky Baptist Convention.

The university expelled student Jason Johnson in April 2006 after he posted comments about his sexual orientation on MySpace.com.

Ernie Fletcher, the governor named in the lawsuit, had asked a judge to determine the constitutionality of using taxpayer money for private institutions of higher education. His successor, Steven Beshear, said he agreed with the ruling and his office would not appeal the decision.

This was one of the primary reasons for the Soulforce Equality Ride visit to the Cumberlands in 2007 (story).

In an opinion requested by Governor Fletcher, on March 6, 2008 Franklin Circuit Court Special Judge, Roger Crittenden, issued an order that rendered the appropriations made for the pharmacy school an unconstitutional establishment of religion under Sections 2 and 189 of the Kentucky Constitution. In addition, the court ruled that a permanent scholarship program created for the pharmacy school by the 2006-07 Kentucky Budget bill was in violation of Section 51 of the Kentucky Constitution.

Senator Vernie McGaha, one 13 lawmakers who sided with the university, said he was unsure whether the decision would be appealed.

"Where we go from here will be a collective decision," McGaha told Louisville's Courier-Journal newspaper. "I don't agree with his ruling."

But, people on the loosing side often disagree!

Republicans kill school bullying bill

Just as I predicted to the Herald-Leader in January, the school bulling bill has died in the Kentucky Senate. Thank you Senator Scorsone for trying to force the issue in the Senate.

The House passes this bill every year, and every year the Senate kills it. So long as David Williams is president, nothing with the name “gay” on it will ever make it through the Senate.

I hope Kentuckians everywhere remember this in the next election. Republicans in the Senate don’t want our school children protected, or give educators the tools they need to address bullying problems with gay students. Gay and lesbian people makeup a large part of the Commonwealth’s population, and it would make things much easier for the next generation if students know calling someone names or bullying them because of their perceived sexual orientation isn’t acceptable; teaching tolerance and diversity at an early age could also reduce future hate crimes.

Kentuckians across the Commonwealth should be ashamed of our elected Republican leaders.

The Courier-Journal reports:

Senate Republicans yesterday beat back an effort by Democrats to force the so-called "bully bill" from the Senate Judiciary Committee.

The Democrats, led by Sen. Ernesto Scorsone of Lexington, failed on a party-line 15-20 vote to win approval of a discharge petition to take the bill from the committee and push it a step closer to a vote on the Senate floor.

Senate Bill 12 would require school districts to develop plans to combat bullying, report instances of it to the state Department of Education and identify bullying as a cause for suspension or expulsion of students.

Scorsone said the bill, first filed in the Senate in 2005, has never received a committee hearing. The measure has overwhelming support in the House, where it has passed four times.

"We want kids to learn to read. Well, a scared kid can't be taught to read very well. If a child is worried about going out at recess, they're not going to have any time to figure out a math problem," Scorsone said.

The first version of the bill defined classes of students to be protected under the bill, including gay and lesbian students. But those provisions were removed in later versions to make it more palatable to those who had concerns, said Sen. Julian Carroll, D-Frankfort, the main sponsor of the bill.

Senate Majority Leader Dan Kelly, R-Springfield, said Judiciary Committee Chairman Robert Stivers, who wasn't in Frankfort yesterday, has been working on amendments to the bill. But he stopped short of promising that Stivers, R-Manchester, would allow a vote in the committee.

Kelly said school districts already have the authority to create such bullying plans. He said he's concerned that the law would place a "bully" label on students that would follow them through their entire careers.

Constitutional Amendment - Senate Bill 161

This bill was sent to the Senate State & Local Government Committee yesterday:

Senate Bill 161: AN ACT proposing an amendment to Sections 36 and 42 of the Constitution of Kentucky relating to legislative sessions. Propose an amendment to Sections 36 and 42 of the Kentucky Constitution to repeal annual sessions; provide ballot language for submission to voters.

This is without a doubt the dumbest idea ever conceived! We already have a “part-time” legislature!

One major obstacle now is that Kentucky’s lawmakers are not in session long enough to accomplish anything. They currently meet for 60 days on even numbered years, and 30 days on odd numbered years. This of course doesn’t include holidays, Sunday, etc. Basically, our legislature is only in session for several months!

I wonder how many decades it would take Kentucky to have a statewide law to protect LGBT people from discrimination in employment if the General Assembly only meets every two (2) years? Who wants to wait 2 years before a new law is passed, changed, etc.? You must also remember that Kentucky’s legislature cannot call itself into special session….. only the Governor can.

Let's hope Senate Bill 161 dies quickly.

In California, their lawmakers meet year around (much like the federal model, Congress)…. so do lawmakers in California, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Florida, Ohio, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Wisconsin.

- Full-Time: California, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Florida, Ohio, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Wisconsin.

- Middle: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Washington.

- Less than Part-Time: Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Maine, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming.

LGBT rights in Kentucky

Want to do something to advance LGBT rights in Kentucky?

Bluegrass Fairness of Central Kentucky and the Kentucky Equality Federation are sponsoring the first LGBT lobby day of this session on February 12; Equality. Fairness. Nothing more, nothing less. This shall be the day we take the fight for equality and fairness directly to our Capitol.

We need your support as the opposition has the voices and numbers that we fail to get to the Capitol. Pro and/or friendly LGBT policies are the minority, but we need to drum enough support to seem like the majority.

We plan on having many guest speakers; including Senator Ernesto Scorsone, Representative Kathy W. Stein, Pastor Cynthia Cain, and Christine Maxwell (former chair of TransKentucky).

We have two exciting events planned for you; you may register for one or both events:

> Speak to your elected officials from 9:00AM - 1:00PM
> Rally in the Capitol Rotunda from 1:00PM - 2:00PM

Click here to register for one or both events!

Show your support by standing united with Kentucky Equality Federation and Bluegrass Fairness of Central Kentucky! Your presence will make a real difference in the fight for equality and fairness for LGBT Kentuckians!

What's at stake?

House Bill 118, the Healthcare Inequality Bill. Public universities and other government agencies would not be allowed to offer health insurance to the unmarried domestic partners of their employees should this bill become law.

House Bill 33. This bill would allow anyone 18 and older to designate a non-blood relative as having hospital room access (such as a same-sex partner).

Senate Bill 55, the non-discrimination bill. Senator Ernesto Scorsone had filed Senate Bill 55 to "to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity."

Homophobic Senate President Williams sleeping?

I loved this post from Hillbilly Report. Senate President David Williams appears to be sleeping during the State of the Commonwealth Address. Homophobic Senate President Williams lashed out at House Bill 91 that would require schools to formulate a code of "acceptable behavior and discipline that prohibits harassment, intimidation, or bullying of a student."

The House of Representatives passes this bill yearly; but homophic people such as President Williams prevent the bill from ever becoming law..... One might say Williams has "homosexual issues" that he needs to resolve.

Kentucky Museum draws more fire.

The anti-gay Northern Kentucky Museum arbitrarily throws science out the door and creates their own evolution timeline. The museum has made a lot of publicity around the commonwealth and indeed, the nation.

We felt the following posts from other bloggers in Kentucky was important enough to post on this site to inform our readers.

From DitchMitchKY: Three days after the Memorial Day opening of Answers in Genesis’ $27 million Creation Museum in Northern Kentucky, a group called Creation Ministries International filed suit in the Supreme Court of Queensland in the Commonwealth of Australia. Among other things, the suit claims the Kentucky group stole subscribers for its Answers magazine by claiming that the Australians’ Creation magazine was “no longer available.”

(Note: This post is a follow-up to the excellent piece that Daniel Phelps, President of the Kentucky Paleontological Society, wrote about the "Anti-Museum" (aka Creation Museum), as well as his disturbing discovery concerning the Northern Kentucky Convention and Visitors Bureau, as discussed below.)

From: Bluegrass Report: If someone wants to believe that humans once put saddles on the back of dinosaurs and rode them (per the display at left from the Creation Museum), well, knock yourself out. I'm sure they're one of those rare voting blocks that Governor Fletcher (R) has in his pocket.

But when legislatively-created agencies like the Northern Kentucky Convention and Visitors Bureau start pimping a place that promotes the fraudulent notion that humans and dinosaurs once happily co-habitation, where we rode them like something straight of The Flintstones, well, I have a problem with that.

Here's a page directly from the Bureau's website:

The 50,000 sq. ft. Creation Museum located within the greater Cincinnati area will proclaim the Bible as supreme authority in all matters of faith and practice in every area it touches on. Set to open in June 2007, this “walk through history” museum will counter evolutionary natural history museums that turn countless minds against Christ and Scripture.

According to this legislatively-created group we're told that national history museums "turn countless minds against Christ and Scripture." Got that?

After doing a little research, I learned that the President and CEO of the Bureau is a gentleman named Thomas P. Caradonio. Aside from the offensive proselytizing of his organization's depiction of the whackjob museum, I also noted that Caradonio was just appointed by Governor Fletcher as the Chairman of Kentucky's Tourism Development Finance Authority, a public agency that is charged to "assist small tourism attractions obtain financing necessary for the development or expansion of small tourism attractions."

So I guess this begs the question whether the Caradonio-led Tourism Development Finance Authority will be recruiting and spending state dollars on more Creation Museums as they accuse science-based activities as the shunning of Jesus Christ and Scripture?

Seems like another sad black mark on a state that spends so much money trying woo high-tech companies (i.e., those whose business models are firmly rooting in the very science its leadership mocks) to relocate to Kentucky while blasting those of us who (gasp) rely on science to explain things in our history...

Additional United We Stand Comments: I was shocked when I followed the link to the Northern Kentucky CVB and found the page Bluegrass Report mentions. The Northern Kentucky Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) is charged with collecting 1% in transient room taxes from hotel owners in the Northern Kentucky area. Anytime someone stays in a hotel in Kentucky they pay a 1% tax the hotel owners then pays to local CVB's to promote tourism.

In order to remain impartial, I agree that the CVB should list the Museum on their website. However, the words "museum will counter evolutionary natural history museums that turn countless minds against Christ and Scripture" should not be listed on the CVB's website.

Would they allow a hotel to place "the best place to have sex in the world," or "the only hotel without roaches," or how about "the best hotel in Northern Kentucky" on their website? I don't think so.

Family group plans Capital rally....even though lawmakers won't be there!

The American Family Association sent massive mailers to people across Kentucky this month asking them to "stop the special tax-supported medical benefits for the live-in boyfriends of homosexual teachers at University of Louisville." This illustrates the groups hate of homosexuals since LGBT people are expected to account for less 1% of those who enroll in the domestic-partner program.

The American Family Association needs to get a new agenda because this one is failing. A UCLA study released in February 2007 found that 61% of incoming freshmen last year agreed that same-sex couples should have the right to marriage, up 3.3 percentage points from 2005. America's opinion is changing! Perhaps this is what really scares the American Family Association, as well as the Family Foundation of Kentucky.

Governor Fletcher had asked lawmakers to consider a ban on domestic-partner benefits at state universities and other agencies during the July special session, but said he will honor the wishes of House Democrats and won't put the issue on the agenda of another special session.

The American Family Association of Kentucky has sent mailers in recent days touting a "rally to protect marriage" on the Capitol steps at 2 p.m. Monday, even though no one will be there!

A search of the Kentucky Secretary of State's database indicates they received permission from the Kentucky Department of State to do business in Kentucky on May 08, 2001 and are based in Mississippi. The group was incorporated in the State of Mississippi as a non-profit on July 21, 1977.

Check-out their website, it says they are "Upholding Kentucky's Christian Values." So.......I guess we are "Upholding Kentucky's Homosexual Values," how do think that would look as our 'catch phrase' on our website?

Family Foundation wants religion to govern the land (judging from the signs they held).

"The Family Foundation of Kentucky, our 'KKK members with church clothes on' are holding signs deliberately bringing religion into government even though it is prohibited by the Commonwealth's Constitution. Neither domestic-partner benefits nor marriage have anything to do with religion; marriage is granted and dissolved by the state, not the church." - Jordan Palmer, Kentucky Equality Federation President

Kentucky Equality Federation united with Kentucky Fairness Alliance, Louisville's Fairness Campaign, Berea Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG), Louisville Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG), the University of Louisville Faculty and Staff for Human Rights Coordinating Committee, and the Kentucky Gay-Straight Alliance Coalition pledge to stand strong and not give up this fight.

Children holding signs that read “Marriage: Gods Way” and senior citizens in wheelchairs with stickers that demanded protection of marriage joined the crowd that filled the Capitol Rotunda today protesting domestic-partner benefits.

“It’s a good thing (the children) are here today because this institution we’re protecting is for them,” said Rep. Keith Hall, D-Pikeville.

“Some political extremists still attack the Trustees’ actions, and I think this is unfair,” stated Kentucky Attorney General Greg Stumbo. “The Governor selected these prominent citizens to keep Kentucky’s universities competitive and modern. Although the Trustees erred in extending domestic partner benefits to a narrow class of people, they have promptly taken corrective action in light of my recent opinion upholding the Marriage Amendment."

Senate President David Williams said after his short address that it seems unlikely the issue of domestic-partner benefits will be on the agenda of an anticipated Aug. 13 special session unless both chambers agree to take it up.

Rep. Jim Gooch, who was one of three Democrats to attend the rally, told the crowd the issue would likely not be taken up until January, but asked them to continue pressing for legislation.

The group also circulated a list of home and office numbers of legislators. Rep. Jim DeCesare, R-Bowling Green, told the crowd he’d recieved 59 voicemails regarding the bill when he checked his messages this morning. All of them, he said, were in favor of banning domestic partner benefits.

Sections of this post taken from Poll Watchers.

House Speaker Richards must lead Governor Fletcher by the nose.

Thanks to the efforts of House Speaker Jody Richards, Governor Fletcher has agreed to meet with executives from Peabody Energy for a private meeting on July 25 at the Louisville International Convention Center.

House Speaker Richards (who must now apparently do Fletcher's work for him) requested a meeting with Peabody Chief Executive Officer Gregory H. Boyce to gauge Peabody’s commitment and time schedule to locating an alternative fuels plant in Kentucky if the legislature approves tax incentives.

Governor Fletcher should have taken this action himself prior to calling the House and Senate into special session. This would have established the need for a special session assuming Peabody Energy is in fact going to make a decision soon about locating a plant in Kentucky as Fletcher has claimed.

Instead, Fletcher added a total of 66 other items to the agenda of his executive order calling the House and Senate into a special session, including a ban on domestic partnerships at all Kentucky public institutions that the Senate has already approved.

Governor Fletcher, Senate President Williams, and House Speaker Richards will be attending the meeting in Louisville.

Kentucky Senate Passes Ban on Domestic-Partner Benefits.

As most of you probably know, the Senate passed a bill to ban domestic-partner benefits at all Kentucky public institutions.

Senate Bill 5 (passed 28-6): Create a new section of KRS Chapter 61 to define a "public agency" as any agency participating in a state-administered retirement system or plan, any agency participating in the state health insurance plan, and any public institution subject to KRS Chapter 164; define "family member" as the employee's spouse, natural or adopted children, stepchildren, and children for whom legal guardianship has been awarded; require public agencies to allow the employee to select health insurance coverage for only the employee and family members of the employee.

Amend to make technical changes; add grandchildren for whom legal guardianship or legal custody has been awarded to the definition of "family member"; declare an EMERGENCY.

It remains to be seen what the House of Representatives will do with Senate Bill 5 when and if it makes its way to the House after the "cooling off period."

Fletcher's appeal to his right wing ultra-conservative voters appears to be paying off. Hasting Wyman's Southern Political Report released a poll conducted by InsiderAdvantage/Majority Opinion showing Democrat Steve Beshear with a 41 percent to 38 percent lead over Republican Governor Ernie Fletcher.

Kentucky's intolerant Senate President, David Williams under fire.

The new heads of the Kentucky Democratic are "seriously considering" filing an ethics complaint against state Senate President David Williams.

According to party vice-chairman Jennifer Moore, she's looking into the possibility that Williams violated legislative ethics rules when he asked Frankfort lobbyists to pleadge donations money that would be used for 2008 campaigns of republican senators. It's illegal for Frankfort lobbyists to give directly to legislators or caucus funds controlled by legislative leaders. Williams has said that was not the case with his solicitation.

But Moore says there are serious questions about Williams' conduct. No lobbyist has filed a complaint against Williams. At least two have told me they felt pressured to give and questioned the legality of the "pledge cards" but believed it would be political suicide to file a complaint against the powerful senate president.