Sometimes bipartisanship is harmful.
The Texas House of Representatives passed a bill Monday that would ban same-sex couples not only from marrying, but from entering into civil unions. Same-sex marriage is already illegal in Texas, but the bill's supporters want a constitutional amendment just to make sure.
It's not really surprising; God forbid any judges see what's happening elsewhere in the country and change the laws to make all of our children gay.
The only surprise is that 18 Democrats voted for the ban; 16 didn't vote at all. Less than half of the state's Democratic reps actually voted against the gay marriage ban, an appalling statistic.
Monday's vote underscores the fact that Texas has no liberal party. The state's Democratic party is centrist, at best. They just look liberal compared to state's overly conservative population.
The "yes" vote from Patrick Rose, D-Dripping Springs, is particularly distressing. Rose, 26, went to UT Law School. If you can't count on a young Democrat from UT to support gay marriage, who can you count on?
Liberals in this state should demand to be heard in the Legislature. They should demand more representatives who are as passionate about gay rights as Republicans are about tax cuts. Call them Democrats or call them something else. But find somebody who will stand up for all of the state's citizens, not just the ones who look or act like them.
The voting record for Democrats on HJR 6
Voting YES Rep. Stephen Frost, D-Atlanta Rep. Mark Homer, D-Paris Rep. Chuck Hopson, D-Jacksonville Rep. Jim McReynolds, D-Lufkin Rep. Robert L. Cook, D-Eagle Lake Rep. Allan B. Ritter, D-Nederland Rep. Dora Olivo, D-Rosenburg Rep. Ryan Guillen, D-Rio Grande City Rep. Yvonne Gonzalez Toureilles, D-Alice Rep. Richard Raymond, D-Laredo Rep. Juan Manuel Escobar, D-Kingsville Rep. Patrick Rose, D-Dripping Springs Rep. David Farabee, D-Wichita Falls Rep. 'Chente' Quintanilla, D-Tornillo Rep. Joseph Pickett, D-El Paso Rep. Tracy Ogden King, D-Batesville Rep. James 'Pete' Laney, D-Hale Center Rep. Al Edwards, D- Houston
Voting NO Rep. Joseph Deshotel, D-Beaumont Rep. Abel Herrero, D-Corpus Christi Rep. Dawnna Dukes, D-Austin Rep. Elliott Naishtat, D-Austin Rep. Mark Strama, D-Austin Rep. Eddie Rodriguez, D-Austin Rep. James Dunnam, D-Waco Rep. Pete Gallego, D-Alpine Rep. Paul Moreno, D-El Paso Rep. Lon Burnam, D-Fort Worth Rep. Marc Veasey, D-Fort Worth Rep. Terri Hodge, D-Dallas Rep. Rafael Anchia, D-Dallas Rep. Roberto Alonzo, D-Dallas Rep. Yvonne Davis, D-Dallas Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer, D-San Antonio Rep. Robert Puente, D-San Antonio Rep. Ruth Jones McClendon, D-San Antonio Rep. Michael Villarreal, D-San Antonio Rep. Alma Allen, D-Houston Rep. Scott Hochberg, D-Houston Rep. Kevin Bailey, D-Houston Rep. Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston Rep. Harold Dutton, D-Houston Rep. Joe Moreno, D-Houston Rep. Melissa Noriega, D-Houston Rep. Garnet Coleman, D-Houston Rep. Jessica Christina Farrar, D-Houston Rep. Hubert Vo, D-Houston
Excused Rep. Craig Eiland, D-Galveston Rep. Vilma Luna, D-Corpus Christi Rep. Rene Orlando Oliveira, D-Brownsville Rep. Jose Menendez, D-San Antonio
Did Not Vote Rep. Ismael 'Kino' Flores, D-Mission Rep. Jim Solis, D-Harlingen Rep. Armando Martinez, D-Weslaco Rep. Aaron Pena, D-Edinburg Rep. Carlos Uresti, D-San Antonio
Present Not Voting Rep. Veronica Gonzales, D-McAllen Rep. Norma Chavez, D-El Paso Rep. Helen Giddings, D-Dallas Rep. Jesse Jones, D-Dallas Rep. David McQuade Leibowitz, D-San Antonio Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio Rep. Sylvester Turner, D-Houston
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