PAYING ATTENTION!
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Santiago Supports Protection of Marriage Bill
(House Bill
3375)
Lawrence
State Representative Jose Santiago announced on "The
Paying Attention!" radio program last week that he
is publicly supporting House Bill 3375, The Protection of
Marriage Bill. Sponsored by Norwood State Representative,
John Rogers, the bill would legally define marriage as
the union between a man and a woman only, thereby legally
failing to recognize gay marriages or "civil
unions."
"I believe it is important to protect the family
unit and I support families in Massachusetts,"
Santiago said on WCCM. "Marriage has always been a
union between a man and a woman, I do not believe in
civil unions. It is important for the legislature to
support families and traditional marriages through the
Protection of Marriage Bill. This bill is important to
the stability of society and I have no problem publicly
supporting this bill."
Last week Governor Jane Swift announced that she does not
support gay marriages in Massachusetts. She also
announced that she supports domestic partnership health
benefits for unmarried couples.
Santiago disagreed with Governor Swift’s stand on
domestic partnership benefits. "Right now we (the
State) gives health benefits to the legally married
spouses of state employees. We do this because married
couples provide social stability in The Commonwealth. If
we expand state health benefits to unmarried couples it
will cost The Commonwealth more than 15 million dollars
in additional revenue. The voters just approved a huge
tax cut and the economy is starting to slow down. Our
budget is definitely shrinking. We have to ask where we
are going to get the money for expanding health care
benefits if this Domestic Partnership Bill (House Bill
2613) passes in the legislature? Fifteen million dollars
is a lot of money. We will have to cut services or raise
taxes. I don’t think the poor people in Lawrence can
afford that."
State Representative Barry Finegold of Andover supports
domestic partnership health benefits and spending an
additional 15 million dollars in tax revenue for
unmarried couples. Finegold also opposes The Protection
of Marriage Bill. Representative David Torissi of North
Andover, however, has not taken a stand on either issue.
Torissi is on the Judiciary Committee where the
Protection of Marriage Bill must gain support before it
can be voted on by the entire legislature.
Methuen State Representative Arthur Broadhurst, and Brian
Dempsey of Haverhill have both remained neutral on the
controversial issues of gay marriage and health benefits
for gay couples. Representative Bradley Jones, who
represents portions of North Andover publicly supports
Protection of Marriage and opposes domestic partnership
benefits.
Representative Santiago has asked members of the public
to support the Protection of Marriage Bill and contact
Massachusetts Citizens Alliance at (781) 647-1942 or
visit their website for information on how you can help
support House Bill 3375 www.masscitizens.com