With Gov. Chris Gregoire and his partner of 21 years standing behind him in the wings, Sen. Ed Murray asked his fellow lawmakers in the state Senate to pass a bill legalizing same-sex marriage. “I realize this is a difficult personal issue because it is about family, and at the heart of family is marriage,” Murray said.

Other senators shared their personal stories, at times getting emotional. Republican Sen. Dan Swecker said he was opposed to changing the definition of marriage. In response, Sen. Debbie Regala said when she married her husband 44 years ago, the ban on interracial marriage had just been lifted. “I am really glad that the definition of a legal marriage has been changed to include mine,” Regala said.

Sen. Kevin Ranker said his father is gay, and many people in his own family refused to accept it. “People dealt with my father’s life by ignoring it, by not talking about it. This silence was worse than outspoken hatred,” he said in an emotional speech.

Republican Sen. Cheryl Pflug explained why she is supporting the bill. Tradition is not always right, she said, particularly when it came to racial struggles in the past. Tradition “is kind to the majority, but not to the minority,” Pflug said.

More than hour into the debate, Sen. Margarita Prentice drew laughter and applause when she said she’s ready to vote. Speaking before the vote began, Sen. Ed Murray said that no matter how his friends in the Senate vote, they’ll still be getting something from him: A wedding invitation.

The bill passed with 28 yes votes and 21 no votes, with four Republicans voting in support of the bill. Dozens of people watching in the gallery erupted into cheers and applause after the vote on the bill, which passed with seven amendments. The House will likely take the up the issue early next week.

After the session adjourned, Sen. Ed Murry said he had anticipated 27 votes, so getting 28 votes was a “pleasant” surprise.

“I was moved by my colleagues’ courage, and the tone of the debate was one of the best I’ve seen in 17 years in the Legislature,” Murray said.

Gov. Chris Gregoire released a statement after the vote applauding the move. “Tonight the Washington state Senate stood up for what is right and told all families in our state that they are equal, and that the state cannot be in the business of discrimination,” Gregoire said.

Tags: Ed Murray, gay marriage

Standing with his partner of 21 years, Sen. Ed Murray said he is prepared for a “very late” night of floor debate in the Senate on the same-sex marriage bill, which he described as “historic” for gays and lesbians around the country.

Murray’s partner Michael Shiosaki said he never thought today would happen when the couple first met on a camping trip on Mt. Rainer two decades ago. They are registered domestic partners, but Murray said it is not the same as marriage. “That is how society says you are a family,” Murray said.

Several amendments to the bill were on the table so far, including that would ensure that existing laws regarding the rights of faith-based adoption centers wouldn’t change. Murray said there is a possibility that one or two of the amendments may be accepted.

Shortly before the floor debate was set to begin, Sen. Brian Hatfield released a statement saying he would vote yes on the bill. “As private citizens, we are able to have that opinion, but as legislators, our “no” vote on this issue will be seen as loving my fellow man or woman less, based on their sexual orientation and an act of discrimination.  That is something I cannot do,” Hatfield said in the statement. Twenty five other senators have previously said they will vote yes.

The Senate gallery is full of people watching the debate. TVW will be live with coverage at 6 p.m., and we’ll have more on the blog and tomorrow’s edition of Legislative Review.

Tags: Ed Murray, gay marriage

The Senate will be in floor session tonight debating the gay marriage bill, and TVW will be live with coverage starting at 6 p.m. The Senate gallery is already filling up with supporters, and we expect it to be a long night. We’ll have updates here on the blog, and a full segment on Thursday’s edition of Legislative Review.

A handful of amendments to the same-sex marriage bill were on the table in the afternoon, including one that would send the issue to the voters in November. Another would allow churches or religious organizations to refuse to rent out their facilities as venues for same-sex weddings. Sen. Ed Murray will be holding a press conference shortly, and we’ll have updates from that as well.

Tags: gay marriage

Sen. Ed Murray told The Seattle Times that a bill legalizing same-sex marriage will get a floor vote in the state Senate on Wednesday morning.

The bill was voted out of the Senate Government Operations committee last week with revised language that provides stronger protections for churches and other religious organizations that don’t want to rent out their facilities for same-sex weddings. Twenty-five senators have said they will vote yes on the bill, giving it enough votes to pass.

The House Judiciary committee voted on a companion bill on Monday, passing it along party lines. Bill sponsor Rep. Jamie Pederson told the committee that the Senate bill will likely be used as the vehicle for final passage. No word yet on when the House will vote on the issue.

Tags: gay marriage

The House Judiciary committee is voting on several bills this afternoon, including legislation that would allow same-sex marriage in Washington state. They will also be voting on an adoption bill that would allow adoptees to access their own birth certificates, and a bill supported by Attorney General Rob McKenna that would tighten stalking laws. We will be live with coverage on TVW starting at 1:30 p.m., and we’ll have more on the blog and tonight’s edition of Legislative Review.

Also live on TVW today: At 10 a.m., the Senate Government Ops committee is holding public hearings on bills that would make changes to the state’s Growth Management Act, which was enacted in the early ’90s as a way to limit suburban sprawl. And at 3:30 p.m., the Senate Ways & Means committee is holding a work session on government reform.

Tags: adoption, gay marriage, Growth Management Act, Reform, stalking

Lawmakers tackled gay marriage, the death penalty, human trafficking and other issues in the third week of session. Here’s a round-up of what we covered on the blog and our daily show, Legislative Review.

Monday: Hundreds of people came to the Capitol to voice their opinions on a bill that would legalize same-sex marriage in Washington state. The day kicked off with a standing room-only public hearing in a Senate committee. That was followed by a jubilant press conference, where gay marriage supporters celebrated upon hearing news that a 25th Senator has agreed to support the bill, ensuring its passage. The House heard the companion bill later in the afternoon, where an additional 96 people signed up to testify.

Watch Monday’s Legislative Review.

Tuesday: On the show, we looked at recommendations from the state debt commission and a controversial bill that would require anyone arrested for a felony to submit a DNA sample. Also, a bill heard in the House would give extended jail sentences to thieves who knowingly target the homes of deployed military personnel.

Watch Tuesday’s Legislative Review.

Wednesday: Dozens of people showed up for a Senate hearing on a bill that would abolish the death penalty — but not a single person signed in opposed to the measure, causing things to get heated. On the show, we took a look at measures related to teacher evaluations and workplace bullying on the show. We also had a short off-the-set interview with Rep. Dave Upthegrove.

Watch Wednesday’s Legislative Review.

Thursday: The bill to legalize gay marriage was approved by a Senate committee, setting it up for a floor vote. The Legislature considered making some changes to the Discover Pass, including making the passes transferable between vehicles. Also, the Senate Ways & Means committee heard about the cost of the “Toxic Toys” bill, including testimony from one doctor who said he feared it would cause a spike in burn victims.

Watch Thursday’s Legislative Review.

Friday: The Senate Judiciary Committee held a public hearing on several bills to address human trafficking. Friday’s show will air at 6:30 & 11 p.m.

Tags: Discover Pass, gay marriage, human trafficking, toxic toys

A bill to legalize same-sex marriage in Washington was approved in the Senate Government Operations, Tribal Relations & Elections committee on Thursday with a 4-3 vote along party lines.

The vote followed discussion of four amendments, including one that would allow faith-based adoption centers to refuse services to gay couples. None of the amendments passed. Republican Sen. Don Benton asked for a referendum clause that would send the issue to the ballot in November.

“A change this significant in state law and in accepted societies around the world requires more than a simple majority vote,” Benton said. The referendum clause did not pass.

The bill is headed for a floor vote in the Senate.

Tags: gay marriage

This morning, the Senate Government Operations, Tribal Relations & Elections committee is expected to pass a bill that would legalize gay marriage in Washington state. We’ll be live with coverage starting at 10 a.m. on TVW, and we’ll have more on the blog and tonight’s edition of Legislative Review.

Also live on TVW today: At 2 p.m., the House Government Appropriations & Oversight committee is hearing several bills related to the Discover Pass, including one that would allow the pass to be used for more than one car. The pass costs $30 per year, and is required to access nearly 7 million acres managed by the state.

And at 3:30 p.m., the Senate Ways & Means committee is holding a public hearing on the “Toxic Toys” bill, which would require manufacturers of children’s products to replace certain chemicals with safer alternatives.

Tags: Discover Pass, Environment, gay marriage, toxic toys

Hundreds of people gathered at the Capitol on Monday to hear bills in the House and Senate that would legalize gay marriage in Washington state.

In between hearings, about 200 anti-gay marriage activists held a rally on the steps of the Capitol. Meanwhile, gay marriage supporters celebrated inside upon hearing news that a 25th Senator has agreed to support the bill, ensuring its passage.

The day kicked off with a standing room-only public hearing in the Senate. That was followed by a jubilant press conference, where several gay lawmakers and citizens shared their stories. The House heard the companion bill later in the afternoon, where an additional 96 people signed up to testify.

Click though to watch the full videos of the hearings and press conference.

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Tags: gay marriage

Rep. Jamie Pedersen, who brought his partner and their children to the hearing, said they were proud to register as domestic partners several years ago — but that this bill represents the final step in the state toward equality.

Jim Justin with Gov. Chris Gregoire’s office said on behalf of the governor that “now is our time” to end discrimination.

Rep. Brad Klippert said if the goal is marriage equality, why limit marriage to just two people? He asked Justin if polygamy might be considered part of marriage equality. Justin said the bill before the committee is what the governor is willing to sponsor.

Rep. Roger Goodman said 96 people are signed up to testify — they’ll each get two minutes, and not all of them will likely be called up, he said.

One student who is the son of two lesbians said no one knows what he means when he says his mothers are “domestically partnered.” He said it sounds more like a business venture than a loving family unit. “Please pass this bill. Your actions will show that Washington state does not discriminate.”

Dan Folden with New Heights Christian Church said redefining marriage is like rerouting the Columbia River. He said if the river were to be rerouted, lawmakers would require an environmental impact statement — but that nothing similar is being done with this legislation. He said he doesn’t approve of passing the bill first to find out what will happen to society.

Another opponent said it’s an abomination and “disgusting.” He said governments don’t determine who can be baptized or saved, and he doesn’t want the government defining marriage, either.

“Simply put, I’d like to get married one of these days,” said Anne Edson. She said she and her partner both served in the military and she is now a minister who spends a lot of her time doing public service, but she’s never been able to get married.

Tags: gay marriage, House