Bill 274 Passed House, Senate and the President Signed Off Too!

Today was a busy day as well. Perhaps most importantly, Bill 274, which was previously approved by the Senate, today passed in the House. The vote was extremely close and at one point a tie seemed possible. Those in favor of the sexual orientation civil rights bill were as follows: Representatives Simon, Zarkasian, Unger, Hilton, Jackson, Zahn, Yarmolinski and Gomez. I should note that Rep. Nedwick was absent from House chambers today.
The vote happily electrified the Senate, who first passed the Bill before sending it on to the House Rules Committee. Within minutes, President Millworth signed the Bill.
For many who sided with the pro-Bill movement, today was an historic day of victory. However, those opposing the Bill are extremely upset with the Bill's passage. Rep. Kilpatrick was visibly shaken after the vote, having to leave chambers for a short period of time.
I asked Speaker Villary about the her vote and the outcome. She stated she had voted against the Bill because she was worried about it protecting gay marriage. Yet in the end, she said, "it came down to protecting our citizens." She was satisfied with the overall vote.
I would like to think that having Senator Meyers on today's program might have allayed some fears surrounding the Bill. The Bill is not about gay marriage or whether it is morally correct to be a homosexual. It simply defines sexual orientation as a part of civil rights legislation.
And on the topic of gay marriage, I showed a clip from this weekend's Miss USA pageant in which a contestant answered a controversial question in an un-politically correct manner in the eyes of the judges. Now, having been in a number of beauty pageants in my much younger days, I can assure you that your love of Jesus is throughly beat in your brain as a southern belle. So I don't really see the fuss about the religion part. All girls are supposed to talk about how moral they are and their desire for world peace. Her question might have been written in a different manner or she could have answered it in a different way. Her stance for her beliefs are admirable, but seems to have cost her the crown. You decide - here's the clip:

In other news, the Senate has been discussing Bill 208 regarding the Lottery. I spoke to Senator Dixon(D) regarding the talks. She felt some members believe the Bill will be a good idea "because it will help the economy and taxes." Dixon stated the Lottery will help with taxes and it is "on a voluntary basis." She noted that there were issues involved in gambling that she would like to investigate further with other members. If possible, she would like to have some sort of program, specifically social programs for gambling addicts, be paid for with the proceeds from the Lottery. Dixon said that both sides of the issue made their points clear. Some were caught in the middle, "(they) were torn between the moral and fiscal issues." She also added that she tried to look at the issues as if she were not a United States Senator, but back home as an "average citizen." It was clear that the issues have not been completely resolved; yet a vote is definitely close. Stay tuned to find out more on the Lottery Bill (previously the Casino Bill).

Tomorrow I'll fill you in on the Cuban recovery efforts, Nigerian situation and much more. Please send in any comments so that we might share your questions on the next broadcast.

Good night -
E.E.